The Happiness We Felt that Day (DISCONTINUED)
by NepgyaHeart
Summary: (DISCONTINUED) After the untimely death of Dawn, five friends - Riley, Moon, Serena, Calem, and Ash - have drifted apart. Five years later, Riley is visited by Dawn's spirit, who can't pass on until her wish is granted. He agrees to help her, but in order to do so, he must bring everyone back together, no matter how painful the resurfacing memories are. AU, inspired by Anohana.
1. Life Starts Again

"Wow, this game looks super boring," bellowed out a teenage girl of average height with black hair that seemed to have been dyed a dark blue. She was standing behind an older boy who was seated at a desk with a computer on it, both hands on his shoulders, rocking the both of them back and forth rapidly. "It looks like something Lucas would play, even."

The game that was running on the computer was a 3D one, which was dark and dreary. The boy at the desk, who had messy brown hair and slight bags under his eyes, was controlling a single character at the center of the screen. The girl recalled the word "souls" and the Roman numeral three flashing across the screen when the boy booted the game up. She was too lazy to catch the first word of the title.

After mashing the space bar on his keyboard several times in a row, the boy swiftly moved his right hand to swat at the girl, as if to say, "Shoo, not now." His eyes never left the screen. The girl let go of her grasp on the boy and resorted to slouching down to rest her elbow on the table to the left of the boy. With her body at a curved right angle, she placed her head on her hand, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

Two harsh knocks at the door caused the girl to jolt up in shock. Then, the door was opened halfway, and a middle-aged man in a suit poked his head in. He had a stern face that meant no nonsense, but otherwise looked like another generic man. "Are you going to school today?" he asked in monotone.

Without looking at the man or changing his position, the boy replied emotionlessly, "No." This was the drill. _The answer's not going to change anytime soon_ , the boy thought. _The first day's not until tomorrow, even. Nice to know you care, Dad._ The man wordlessly turned, closed the door, and exited the house. The girl took a sharp intake of air.

"Yikes, stone cold and scary as always, huh?" She tried to get the boy to chuckle with her. He didn't say anything. "Interesting that he can't see me. It happened yesterday, too. Last night, I walked into the bathroom as he was shaving his face. I screamed pretty loudly, and he didn't even stutter for a moment. Hey, maybe you're the only one who can see me," she joked with the last sentence. But, it wasn't implausible given that the boy's father didn't react at all to her.

He stopped gliding his fingers across the keyboard. A few moments later, the screen flashed white from the blast of a large boss, and "You Died" lingered at the center of the monitor for a few seconds in red text. "You died," the girl said mockingly, one eyebrow raised with a cheeky smirk on her face. The boy only sighed.

His character rose before a bonfire and stood idly as the boy got up to stretch. "Whoo, look at me, I'm just as good as Riley!" the girl shouted out to no one in particular a few seconds later. She took the seat that the boy, Riley, had been sitting in and was mashing the keys W, A, S, and D in quick succession, effectively making the character run around in a circle like an idiot.

 _Thank God I'm not playing online_ , Riley thought as he watched the bad game play in front of him. The girl accidently hit another key, prompting the character to start chugging from a glowing flask. She muttered, "Whoops," with genuine worry. He held his face in his hand as she slowly stood up, distancing herself from the computer.

Once again, the girl put her hands on the boy's shoulders, this time jumping up and down behind him. Riley seemed mentally unaffected by this, acting as if she weren't there. His wild shaking in response to her movement didn't even bother him. "Riley, come on, I'm bored! Play with me, do something! I'm not going to stop acting like a brat until you do!"

"Heh, I must be going insane," he whispered to himself. The girl moved herself so that they were facing each other. She stopped whining when she saw the look on Riley's face. He looked as if he had fallen into madness, head clutched in both his hands with his eyes wide open while muttering about his sanity. "I'm hallucinating. There's no such thing as ghosts, or any of that bull."

The girl had enough. She puffed her cheeks out and furrowed her brows. In one fluid movement, she clapped her hands right in front of his face the loudest she could. Both figures were still, and the boy stopped talking. "What are you talking about?" She was really worried about her friend.

"No, this can't be." He was still spurting words that the girl could not understand. He was shaking his head left and right. Not that he would admit it, but what he felt the most in that moment was scared. To avoid sobbing and completely breaking down, he clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth wildly.

"What do you mean? Riley, just tell me. I'm right here for you," she said in the most soothing voice she could muster. She left her hands on his shoulders and stood up on her toes while slightly pushing him lower to be able to look him in the eye. Their faces were inches apart and each following second of silence made the girl frown harder. "You know me, I'm just your best friend... or, at least, one of them. Nothing to brag about or anything." She picked at her nails before checking to see if the boy even smiled in the least bit.

"No, you're not, because… because..." Riley couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. She gave him a hug and patted his back exactly five times, then parted to give him a playful slap on the cheek. The feeling that Riley got from that interaction, as well as the nostalgia that was oozing from just being around the girl was overwhelming to him. "Because… because Dawn's dead."

The girl, Dawn, froze up and tensed her shoulders. Then, she gave a sad smile. "Yeah, well... I'm here now."

Riley couldn't believe what was happening. For the past almost twenty-four hours, he had been pestered by the apparition of a girl that seemed like a more mature looking version of his childhood friend. The whole time, he was glued to his computer screen, so he didn't give her much thought, believing her to be the result of his lack of sleep and guilt coming back to bite him five years late. Only a few minutes ago did he actually acknowledged her presence.

She took his hand in hers and just giggled so lightly that he couldn't help but relax. In his mind, Riley felt that he had two options for the position he was in. One was to ignore this Dawn's presence once more and try to keep telling himself that things were all right. The other was to stop asking questions and just roll with the punches, accepting that Dawn was really in front of him.

Both choices were unhealthy. For the first one, even if she was just some weird figment of his imagination, she actually seemed tangible. She was able to move Riley as if she were real, and that was a problem, especially if her attention span was as short as the Dawn that he knew. Also, it probably wouldn't be the best option to try to ignore the potential fact that he was hallucinating. For the latter, he would just be conforming to the madness and it was obvious what was wrong with that. But, at the same time, it wasn't as if Riley had anywhere to go or anyone to talk to.

"Fuck it." He couldn't be bothered. He didn't want his head to hurt, and he knew that soon, his heart would follow if he kept asking questions. Dawn laughed at his outburst. _I'm lonely anyway. Might as well roll with it until she's gone again, like my drive to do anything. Maybe this is the change of pace that I needed_. "But, if you are real, then why are you here? You're…"

Dawn quieted down and had a sullen look on her face. "I know that. But, I seem to be stuck here."

"What do you mean?" Riley just gave up on focusing on logic and the like. All he cared about that moment was Dawn, his game now well forgotten. She was just like he remembered her, just a tad taller and somehow more charming. He was still a head higher than her, however.

"I can't leave until my wish is granted," Dawn mumbled. She was looking at the floor and blushing, one hand resting on a hip with her weight shifted on her left leg.

"Your wish?" Riley was at a loss. But, looking at her, he knew that she wasn't lying. _It's not like she was big on lying to begin with_ , he thought. _Nor was she too selfish. Purposely obnoxious at times for a laugh, yes, but not a spotlight hog_. A faint smile couldn't help but find its place on his face.

"Yeah. I know there's no real reason to believe me on that, and I know that Calem would go crazy over this 'nonsense,' but it's true. I feel it. Please believe me." She had her arms up like she was surrendering to something, not putting them down after she made air quotes. Riley flinched noticeably when she said "Calem".

"No, I believe you. Just… please, don't leave," Riley quickly responded. _Way to not sound desperate_ , he mentally chastised himself. Dawn just gave him that smile that he knew all too well. The dimple on her left cheek showed as Riley couldn't help but smile with her, albeit a small one.

"Will you help me?" Dawn scratched her head, embarrassed at having to ask her friend something so outlandish.

"Of course," Riley said after taking a second to reflect on how he got to this point in his life. But, if he could help his friend in any way he could, it would probably be better than spending all day playing his computer. Even if she was a spirit, or ghost, or whatever she was. At least he would be doing something productive. Hell, he could even get a few kicks out of it.

"Thank you," Dawn said. "I might not know what my wish is specifically, but I have a feeling. I know that I need everyone together!"

Riley froze. His mind started racing the moment she said "together" and started fist pumping shyly, never mind the fact that her wish was undefined. "Are you sure?" He tried to see if there was any way out of getting the gang back together. _It's impossible. I, no, we can't_.

"Huh? What, is something wrong? I can't wait to see everyone again. How is everyone, anyway? I see you're good, for the most part." Dawn had that look in her eyes of wonder and innocence. "Come on, you, me, Moon, Serena, Ash, and Calem all together like the good ol' days."

"Yeah, uh, I don't think that's happening," Riley answered, the corner of his room suddenly becoming more interesting than his resurrected friend.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Dawn could not follow.

"The six of us," Riley managed to utter. His throat felt dry, and he immediately had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He did not want to talk about the four other friends they had, but he knew that Dawn wouldn't let it go until she knew, no matter how badly the information made her feel. Her tapping foot didn't make things better.

"It's impossible. The five of us, we… had a falling out." Riley looked at the floor between them, hands clenched at his side, head ducked.

"A falling out? What does that even mean?" Dawn couldn't believe her ears. The six of them were as close as close could get. But, knowing Riley, he wasn't lying. "We, we're Shadow of Losers, we're _friends_." She knew how corny that sounded, but she couldn't think of any reason as to why they couldn't hang out again.

Riley flinched at the mention of the edgy name their group of friends had given themselves. How young they had to be to take the name "Shadow of Losers" seriously. It was always the six of them together since the late stages of elementary school. The operative word was "was." That was then; the now was not the same. Riley would have spent a few minutes lingering on the name origin, but Dawn was waiting on him.

"It's complicated," he said, dragging his words out in reluctance. "Actually, no, it's not."

"Which is it? Can't we just go hang with Moon or Serena or someone right now?" Dawn got progressively quieter with each word to fall out of her mouth as Riley's fists started shaking.

"No." Riley took a deep breath. _Just say it all right now and spare the pain_. "After it happened, it wasn't the same. We just couldn't get along. We needed you. We changed."

"What?" It just did not compute with Dawn. "Me? No, not even that. Why did you guys let each other go?"

"I didn't want us to drift apart. I can't say anything for everyone else, but I wanted us to stick together. But, we changed." Riley's eyes were wide open and his nose started tingling. _I don't want to say this. I don't want to remember what was and think about what could have been_. His deep voice rose a few octaves despite his efforts to be brave for the both of them.

"Changed? What is that supposed to mean?" Change was never easy to accept. Dawn wanted to know that everything was going to be okay, which seemed impossible given what Riley was telling her.

"We, no, none of us are the same as before. Everything's different." Riley couldn't look at Dawn.

"That's impossible. I refuse to believe that. Moon's lovably awkward, Serena manages to be modest and proud at the same time, Calem's the know-it-all, and Ash is the likable goof." Dawn tried to give her friends the most accurate yet flattering short descriptions as she could. "And, you're the reliable constant."

"No, you're wrong." Riley hated correcting people, but he couldn't stand Dawn talking about the group like it was five years ago. "We changed."

"Stop being a broken record and explain, then!" Dawn shouted. Their conversation was going nowhere, and she was getting angry. Not only were they going in circles, but Riley was spewing what appeared to be nonsense to her about their friends.

"Like I said, none of us are who we were when you were around. After you died, we couldn't stand to be around each other. We stand stopped hanging out, we stopped talking, we stopped _looking_ at each other, even!" Riley was tugging at his hair. "No one could say anything. No one _wanted_ to say anything. Without you there, being around each other felt like the life was getting sucked out of us. We, _I_ hated it!" He stomped his foot and let out a guttural growl.

Now it was Dawn's turn to stare at the floor as Riley stared at her with large eyes. She grabbed her left wrist with her other hand and started twisting the combo. Biting her lip, she started tasting blood; her tooth had peeled off a segment of dried skin, prompting it to bleed. At least it gave her something to focus on other than the news crashing down on her. "No."

"Yes, Dawn, yes. It's a nightmare. Ash turned into a jock, Serena's a brat, Moon's become forgettable, and Calem only cares about studying! And me? Look at me, I haven't gone to school regularly since the beginning of seventh grade! I only go to school for about five days a year to pass. Otherwise, I waste my life away at home," Riley breathlessly barked out. "None of us have come together since you were here. There's no reason to, anyway. We hate each other!"

"No, you're exaggerating. You're lying! Let's just meet everyone at Calem's treehouse and-" Dawn desperately said. It was all falling apart.

"No, we'll stay right here and not dig up what should stay in the past." Riley cut her off.

"What are you talking about? Are you mad, man? What's wrong with you? How could you give up like that?" Dawn could not comprehend Riley's train of thought.

"Dawn, stop it," Riley commanded. That was the most forceful he had ever been with her. He was not going to budge on his stance. He refused to dig up the past. He just barely managed to keep his sanity intact after Dawn's untimely death, and meeting up with anyone else would probably cause him to blow a gasket somewhere in his head. "Just face it: the lot of us aren't friends anymore."

"No, we are! There's no reason as to why you guys had a falling out. You didn't need me. I was just there to have fun. You guys were the life of the party. If you guys got into a fight or something, just meet up with everyone, say 'sorry' simultaneously, then laugh it off like some Hollywood movie. Make up, laugh, be friends, have fun! Just don't hate each other!" Dawn shouted at the top of her lungs. She almost never shouted unless she was excited, so her behavior was quite worrying.

"That's not happening. I don't care how much you hate it, but I'll keep saying it. People change, we changed. And by changing, I guess we moved on. Don't open up a can of worms just because you want your stupid wish granted! Things were just fine as they were, and they'll stay that way." Riley hated himself once he saw the look on Dawn's face. Her mouth was agape with her eyes narrowed, hurt evident in them, tears already falling down. "Just accept it, Dawn. Grow up."

Riley hated himself even more for saying those last two words. He wasn't one who could justifiably say such sage words, especially when he had yet to grow up himself. "You sound like Calem. I hated it when he said that, too. We all did. We're still kids." Dawn managed to cough those words out.

She couldn't hold it in any longer. Her shoulders started shaking uncontrollably as she sobbed loudly, despite covering her mouth with both hands. Riley just wanted to disappear. The closest thing he could do was run away, but he just couldn't abandon Dawn. Not when she was right there in front of him after five painful years, acting as though nothing bad happened since the last time he saw her. _But of all things, this is what we're fighting each other on. I hate to say it, but we're not kids anymore. We're all over seventeen, about to graduate and move on_.

Instinctively, his hands found her shoulders. Pulling her into a hug, Riley could only stiffen and stare at the wall as his mind raced with too many thoughts for him to process at once. Dawn forced herself to stop crying, but didn't push Riley away. "Why? That didn't have to happen."

"But it did. And I can't exactly do anything about it," he answered in the softest voice he could find. He started patting her on the head with one hand as they just stood there.

They enjoyed a few seconds of pleasant silence until a chime interrupted the moment. Riley was brought out of his trance with the sounding off of his doorbell. He groaned before leaving his room, descending the staircase and standing before the front door, Dawn trailing behind.

Like a bandage, Riley ripped the door open and was surprised at who he saw. Standing in front of him was a girl with black hair just past her shoulders and dark eyes. She wore a plain white t-shirt with a floral skirt over black tights. She had a nervous toothy smile on her face, biting her right thumb nail while holding an envelope with her other hand. Dawn's face lit up, a total one-eighty-degree flip from just a minute ago. "Moon!" But, her word seemed to only reach Riley.

"Uh, can I help you?" Riley hesitantly inquired. _It's been years since I talked to her. I've seen her once or twice in the hallway, but haven't instigated a conversation._

"Oh, uh, hi!" Moon awkwardly replied. She waved with both her hands and her head tilted slightly to the right. Her arms immediately dropped to her sides once she saw Riley's dead eyes. She slowly laughed a laugh that Dawn and Riley knew all too well. It meant that she was super uncomfortable and had no idea as to what to say. Its unusually high volume, stilted manner, and inconsistent rhythm gave it away quickly.

"Is something wrong, or can we stop this right now?" Riley wanted it to end, especially because of the argument he just had with Dawn. His hand rested on the doorknob, rocking the door back and forth. Noticing this once she stopped laughing, Moon flapped her arms wildly.

"No, no, no, wait!" she shouted unnecessarily loudly. Another uncomfortable laugh escaped her lips. "Um, here!"

Moon had shoved the envelope that was in her hand towards Riley. He slowly lifted his arm to grab it. Once he clutched the end opposite to the one Moon was grabbing, he tugged it towards him only to find himself pulling Moon towards him as well. "Moon, come on, what are you acting so stiff for? Let's go goof off!" Dawn directed her words to Moon until she realized her situation. "Oh, right, so only Riley can really hear… Riley, speak for me?"

Riley ignored Dawn the best he could. He knew that she would just keep trying to bring everyone together, something he wanted to avoid so badly. "You can let go, you know." The awkwardness was spreading as Riley could only stand and wait for Moon to react.

"Oh, yeah, sorry!" she immediately exclaimed, once again too loudly. Another odd chuckle left her. "Here you go." She finally let it go.

"What is it?" Riley inquired. He didn't want to continue the conversation, but he needed to know why Moon was knocking on his door after five years just to give him a dumb envelope.

"Oh, Ms. Jackson wanted me to give it to you," Moon replied.

The name was slightly familiar to Riley. "The counselor social worker lady?" _Eloquent_ , Riley mentally rolled his eyes at himself. He paused for a second, realizing that Dawn had calmed down. Looking back at her, she stood a few yards behind him with a small smile on her face, wringing her hands together.

"Yeah, she wanted me to give you this. I'm not sure what's in it, but…" Moon trailed off, hoping that she didn't have to elaborate any more.

"Why? I mean, why you, and why this?" Riley paused for a second. This was kind of suspect.

"Well, I was helping her out a few weeks ago and she started talking about students that don't go to school regularly and how she was worried about them. I was sorting papers for her and wasn't really paying attention. When she mentioned your name and how she was only ever able to talk to you twice, and how she wished she could give you a few papers, I kind of let it slip that I knew you and where you lived," she rambled on. "Oh, but not in a creepy way, I assure you!" she quickly added with a huge, unconvincing smile.

Riley only needed a second to find a hole in what she was telling her. "It's summer vacation."

"Last month, there was summer school. I took extra classes," she proclaimed somewhat proudly. "Although, it was just health and music," she said under her breath, donning a momentary grimace.

"Right, well then, that was interesting to learn," Riley retorted with sarcasm evident. _I'm not sure what else to say. This feels more uncomfortable than the time when Serena and Calem argued over who was more_ \- Riley cut himself off. _Why am I thinking of that?_

"Yeah?" Moon asked with large, oblivious eyes. She hadn't heard his comment. One glance at the older boy made her grasp at anything she could reach to continue the conversation. "Well, school's tomorrow, the first day. We're seniors! Ha, heh, uh, are you gonna go?"

That was it, the last thing Riley had to hear. "No," he deadpanned. Then, he closed the door on her. But, because he had to yank the envelope away from Moon earlier, he ended up pulling her slightly into his house. In other words, she was standing in the way of the door and the doorframe, so Riley ended up hitting her with the door. "Sorry," he instantly muttered.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Uh, I guess I'll see you around!" she quickly said and turned on her heel, her uncomfortable laugh booming. She sped walked her way off into the distance, but not before Dawn tried to stop her.

"Wait, Moon, let's hang out! Get back here!" Dawn shouted as she cupped her hands around her mouth. She would have ran after her friend, but Riley grabbed the back of her shirt before she got too far. "Riley, lemme go! No, wait, you get her back here and let's hang out like we used to!" She knew she was repeating herself, but she really had to hammer her point across to Riley.

"No, Dawn," Riley coldly commanded her like she was an antsy dog. "Didn't you hear me before? We changed, we can't stand being around each other, and things aren't going back to the way they were."

"You're wrong! And you lied! Moon's still the same as she always was. You just chased her off. Who knows how everyone else is. Just because you isolated yourself from the rest of them doesn't mean you can label them like that!"

"That's enough!" Riley's heart started beating faster, louder. "Just stop it, Dawn, please, I'm begging you. Just stop talking." He would have fallen to his knees and started pleading with her had she not clammed up.

"Fine," she whispered, not wanting to fight anymore. "But Moon still seems alright." Even though she stopped fighting, she wouldn't let it go entirely. _Moon's still the same_ , she kept thinking over and over again.

"No, she's not. She sided with her sister and her sister's friends and barely talks at all. Yes, even Moon changed, and that's the end of this conversation, Dawn," Riley concluded. She only dropped her jaw in disbelief.

He almost forgot the envelope gripped tightly in his hand. The edge that he was holding it by was curled and creased due to how tightly he had clenched his fists. With one swift movement, he ripped the sealed flap open and shook it upside down. Several mini booklets fell out. Upon closer inspection, they were all self-help pamphlets.

 _What is Depression?_ , _How to Cope with Depression_ , _Friends are There to Help_ , _Self-Harm isn't the Answer_ , _Why School is Worth It_ , and _It's okay to ask for Help_ were some of the titles of the pamphlets in the envelope. All of them made Riley roll his eyes, almost laughing, and rip them into pieces while shouting in frustration. A whole became two halves, became four fourths, became eight eighths in no time flat. He then crumpled all the pieces of laminated paper scraps into a pointy ball. He dropped the ball of paper into the trash can and didn't look back. If he had a lighter or match and wasn't scared of possible repercussions, he would have set fire to the garbage.

 _I'm not even depressed or hurting myself. Just because I rarely go to school and look like I always wake up on the wrong side of the bed doesn't mean any of that stuff. No one knows what I feel right now, much less what I have been feeling for the past few years_ , Riley thought to himself. He stopped moving for a second before continuing. _Okay, maybe I am a bit depressed. But seriously, "friends" and "school" are there to help me? Yeah, right. If you really care, ma'am, why don't you tell me it yourself instead of sending cheap, generic messages my way? No one can help me. I've tried my best to help everyone else out in the past, and look what that got me._

Dawn wanted to say something more, but she didn't want Riley to abandon her either. She saw how hard he was thinking, and just gave him some room to breathe. _But, wow, is that really the situation he's in?_ She thought. Dawn had read the pamphlet titles over Riley's shoulder from a distance. _Why is it so hard to be happy? I'm gonna try harder to make Riley smile like he used to._

The sound of footsteps ascending the staircase snapped her out of her sulking. She followed him back upstairs to his room. Riley took his seat once more in front of the computer, waking it up and resuming play. Dawn plopped herself on his bed and just watched him. The analog alarm clock that was placed on the bedside table alongside a digital one caught her attention. She grabbed it and wanted to watch as the hands ticked on and on, but found it to be broken. The clock hands were completely still. After shaking it wildly for a few seconds, she set it back down.

Dawn shifted her attention to the watch on her right wrist. Holding it above her head as she lied on her back, the motion of the seconds hand hypnotized her like it always had. The predictable movement fell in sync with the sound of Riley hitting his keyboard keys. She knew that eventually sleep would overcome her, so she forced herself into an upright position.

Her eyes became set on the drawers of the bedside table, squatting in front of it and sliding open one compartment. Laying inside were dozens of plastic square cases of games from days past. An unfamiliar black portable game console caught Dawn's eye that flipped open to reveal two screens. A slider on the right side of the console that had "3D" written adjacent to it made her raise an eyebrow. A game case with "3DS" printed on the side, "Pokemon Y" in big letters at the bottom center of the front, and a huge red and black beast as the focus made her smile like a madman.

"Holy cow, this looks awesome! Hey, how many new _Pokemon_ games have there been since I lef - I mean Unova?" She caught herself before she caused another awkward silence. Dawn had to know the answer, _Pokemon_ being her favorite franchise. Altogether, it was the collective favorite for the six friends throughout the years. The last game she had played was _Black 2_.

Riley stayed quiet for two reasons. One was that he didn't know the answer, having stopped buying Nintendo merchandise after what happened to Dawn. The other was that he knew she would pester him to no end about playing it together. He was not up for a nostalgia wash-over. Another little tidbit about that specific game copy was that Riley never started up a file. He got the game as a gift, ripped off the wrapper, then lost all drive to play it, much less to put it into his 3DS.

"Hey, why won't it turn on?" Dawn asked. After flipping it open and pressing the big square power button on the bottom half of the console, nothing changed. It didn't boot up, just stayed a haunting black screen that did not show her reflection. She would have joked about being a vampire, but she knew that it would be wise to avoid talking about her mortality, at least for then. It would have also been interesting to know as to why she was tangible, but some things might be better left unanswered.

Riley just kept playing his own game. _Please, Dawn, just leave it alone. I can't do this right now. Just wait until I'm ready_ , he thought. But when was "ready"?

"Hey, where's the charger? I want to play," she said as she rummaged around the drawer next to her. It was nowhere to be found. There was a DSI, DS, and a Gameboy Advanced charger, yes, but no outstanding one. She could only deduce that the charger for the console she was holding, a 3DS, wasn't in the drawer since she didn't know its charger, but recognized all the others. She wasn't around long enough to get a 3DS, but owned all the other ones.

Riley would not have had a 3DS himself given the choice. He only had the console and the one game that Dawn wanted so much to play right then and there because his father bought it for him for his birthday. His father always took the easy way out and just bought his son a game each year, knowing that it would not be a worthless investment. His seventh-grade year just happened to be the same year as the launch of the 3DS, so his father got it for him for his fifteenth birthday. Why and how his fifteenth birthday? Let's just say that Riley got held back in his very early years and leave it at that for now.

"Riley, come on, it'll take a minute. Where is it?" Dawn then stood right behind him with the console in her hand. "Please, tell me! I won't stop being annoying until you tell me, you know."

"Dawn, stop," was all Riley could say. He didn't know what else to say. He only knew that he wasn't in the mood to remember the past, which Dawn seemed to make him do so easily.

"That's all you've said to me in the past ten minutes. Please, Riley, let's just have fun together like we always did. If you don't want anyone else here, then let's just have the two of us. Let's be happy together right now," Dawn pleaded. Boy, did that sound cheesy. Had it not come from Dawn, who seemed to realize romantic antics well too long after they were performed, Riley would have gagged and rolled his eyes. Still no response came her way. "Come on."

She started poking him in the back. You could see his muscles tense and his posture straighten out at the contact. She just kept repeating his name, "charger," and "please" over and over again. Then, she started prodding his cheek with the 3DS. She knew that Riley had a lot of patience. He finally reacted by pushing the console away.

"No." His cold tone made Dawn freeze for a second. She refused to obey, though, continuing to poke at him with the console. He had to give in some time.

On his computer monitor, one could see his abilities taking a dip. Previously, you could see him running through a dungeon, eliminating dozens of enemies without depleting his health at all. Now, he was facing off against the boss that he had lost to earlier. Instead of going in for the kill, he was just rolling around, getting hit nonetheless, and healing over and over again. Eventually he wiped out. Dawn didn't pay any mind to it, continuing to pester him.

Once his character revived, he made a run for the boss, ignoring other enemies. After emerging from a fog door, he ran straight for the boss and started whittling its health down. Then, he died in one shot. After that, he went for it eight more times in a row, not making any headway, all the while having Dawn poke his face with the 3DS and whine at him. And each game over drove him closer to his breaking point.

Dawn wasn't trying to be annoying or bothersome. She just wanted to make her friend smile, something he hadn't done once during her time with him. "Riley, please, just get up and-" she said, stopping when she heard the sound of his chair scraping against the wood floor.

"That's enough, Dawn. You told me to stop repeating myself, but I can't if you won't do it yourself. _Stop it_! I don't want to dive back into the past. I don't want to hang out with Ash, Moon, Calem, or Serena. I don't even want to see them. I don't want to change! I don't want to talk right now. I don't even want to play with you right now, so just stop it!" He shouted at her. Both of their ears were ringing once he finished.

Riley didn't stop there. He yanked the 3DS out of Dawn's hand and chucked it across the room. It hit the wall and fell to the floor. It probably would have broken had it not been in in a clear, plastic, protective casing. His breathing was erratic and his posture crooked

Dawn's eyes were big and wet. Tears started to cascade down her face once more, and she couldn't bring herself to respond with anything. Rough sobs escaped her lips and her face was unsightly. Her whole head was flushed as she lost control over herself. It was too much. She was scared and regretted her actions greatly. Before she could think anything through, she just ran away.

Riley heard his front door slam shut a few seconds later, and didn't do anything to catch up with Dawn. He just turned back to his desk and sat back down. His character awakened once more and was guided back to the boss room. But, the absence of Dawn did not seem to improve his skill level. He still lost just as quickly and kept retrying to no avail. All the while, Dawn was just running through the streets of Chanswell.

After his tenth death, Riley reclined the best he could in his wooden chair. Sighing loudly, his eyes shot to the plain white untextured ceiling. The silence of the room should have been comforting, but instead, it was torture. _I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't want to shout. Hopefully she'll be back soon. She'll probably run around in a circle like an idiot, tire herself out, and come back_. Riley tried his best to tell himself that everything was going to be alright. "Yeah, I mean, apparently no one else can see her, so she won't have to worry about embarrassing herself. She'll make a lap around the main street and the… floodplain…" he said to himself. But, once the word "floodplain" came out, he froze. "The floodplain," he echoed.

His chair scraped against the floor once more as he instantly stood up, hands slammed against his desk. He pivoted and stared at his 3DS lying lonely on the floor. The next thing he knew, he was running. Despite being almost nightfall, Riley just ran out.

He didn't immediately dash out, though. Looking back in his room, one of the two remaining outlets on the power strip his computer was hooked up to was occupied by a DSI charger, leading to a clunky black 3DS. _Goddamnit, the DSI and 3DS chargers are interchangeable, Dawn! You couldn't compare the sizes?_

"Dawn!" he screamed as he ran through the streets of the town of Chanswell. One destination was on his mind, the one place he knew that Dawn could have went. He set his sights on Calem's place.

After running down six winding streets, Riley spotted the oversized house of Calem Thompson. It might as well have been a mansion given how large it was. Calem was quite privileged to have a doctor and some sort of politician or lawman that Riley could not remember for the life of him as his mother and father, respectively.

He made a beeline for a gate off to the left side of the house which closed the gap between the house and the fence separating the Thompsons' property from their neighbors, the Laniers. It was one of two ways that one could enter the backyard. Preventing the gate from being open to the public was an over complicated looking numpad lock. _There's no way I'm getting to the backyard through the house. Please don't have changed the password, Calem_. A thick, even coat of dust on the keys gave him a little hope.

Riley whipped his phone out to use as reference. It had been far too long since he had done this. Slowly, he entered a fourteen-digit password that only six people should have known the answer to. A small, green LED lighting up and a ding signaled a correct input. Riley pushed the gate open, slammed it shut, and ran to the backyard. The password? "Shadow of Losers" typed out in numbers corresponding to the numbers on a phone dial pad.

A single large tree a tad off center of the backyard towered over Riley. In the branches was a big enough treehouse that must have been quite pricey. A couple of broken wood planks on the border of the treehouse acting as a fence and a rather dirty looking metal slide attached to the house as one of two exits showed its age.

Riley latched onto the entrance/exit that wasn't the slide, which was a strong looking rope ladder that must have been replaced some time lately. He didn't pay any mind as to why it was a new rope. He just climbed up like his life depended on it, almost slipping off a few times on his way up. Once he was on the platform before the door, he just tackled it in.

Inside, there was definitely someone. In fact, there were two someones, however neither were happy to see him. And neither happened to be Dawn. This made Riley's heart drop. He seriously thought about jumping out of the treehouse from where he stood when he realized who the two were.

There stood a boy and a girl inside the treehouse. The boy had neat longish black hair in a short sleeved white button up and black pants. A book was clutched in one hand and a pair of glasses in the other. The girl, on the other hand, looked like she did not belong, nor did she appear to want to be there. She had long honey-colored hair pulled into two large pigtails. Her clothing choice was a bit risqué. An off the shoulder red midriff baring shirt and a short black skirt with black high heels made her look like an outsider to the rather plain looking boys in the treehouse with her. Her phone captured her interest over all else. Before turning to look at the newcomer, she posed, winking, probably taking a picture of herself, followed by texting a string of words.

 _Well, apparently Calem has stayed the same the most. It's kind of ironic. But, Serena, what the hell happened to you? So much for the insecure, modest you we all knew. I guess in that aspect, it's good that Dawn's not here_. Riley couldn't help but judge based on looks. The Serena in front of him was so drastically different from the one of the past.

As much as he yearned to do so, running away and hiding was not an option for Riley. He had to say something, so he did. "Hey Calem, Serena." A flaccid wave made Riley look absolutely pathetic.

"What are you doing here, Riley?" Calem said after absorbing the situation, not bothering to put down his book. "Care to explain why you burst into my treehouse without my permission?"

"Care to be any more annoying?" Serena said under her breath.

"So, what are you two doing together?" Riley tried to change the subject. _If they're anything like they were before, they'll break out into a full-blown argument in a heartbeat_. This thought made Riley's heart drop. Was Dawn right? Was he overreacting? Did they change? Or was he right and the truth too painful to accept?

"Don't get any ideas. I'm only here 'cause we're in the Astronomy Club together," Serena snapped, crossing her arms and looking in the opposite direction of Calem. Her phone went off and took her attention once more.

Riley was confused for a moment before he realized that there was a rather expensive looking telescope pointed outside the window. _That's right, they go to the same school. High Horizon Academy, I think. It's specialized. If I tried harder, I could have gone there, too. But, the Astronomy Club? I would expect it out of Calem, but you?_ Riley thought.

"It's barely sunset," Riley commented.

"I made the mistake of coming early," she confessed. Riley soaked in the small interval of silence that came after Serena's remark. For a split second, he thought that they were back in time. He imagined that there were not just three standing there, but six. He expected Dawn or Moon, probably even both, to either stifle a laugh or burst out chortling at the unintentional double-entendre that Serena just made. Serena would then follow, as well as Ash and himself. Calem would shake his head at their childishness, but would probably be laughing in secret. He snapped out of his delusion in an instant.

"Care to answer my question?" Calem took the spotlight.

"Oh, I…" Riley couldn't answer. The real reason for his being there would have been shot down by Calem, a meticulous poindexter. On the other hand, Riley was horrible at coming up with things on the spot. Running away was still not an option.

Calem moved to his fancy looking telescope and fiddled with some knobs and the angle it was set at. "You…?" Calem led on while peering through the telescope. _Don't have to be so haughty about it_ , Riley thought. Even if it was in his head, Riley used "haughty" as a euphemism for "douchey".

"I'm looking for Dawn," Riley admitted. He had absolutely no real intention of saying that. It just slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He just wanted to leave and forget anything ever happened right then and there.

The air became stagnant. Calem and Serena froze while Riley slumped down in embarrassment. "Dawn?" Serena breathed. She finally put her phone down.

Calem stood up straight and turned around to face Riley. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he gave a tired sigh. "I see what this is. But before anything escalates, just leave right now, Riley. I don't have time for your delusions, nor do I want to be involved."

"What do you mean?" Riley had to ask.

"It's quite obvious. To cut to the chase, just give up. Stop living in the past, Riley."

"I'm not, I assure you. I just meant-" he tried to answer, but Calem cut him off.

"No, you are. You're not going to fight me on this. You, for some reason, are choosing to linger on the past, _now_ of all times, after everyone else affected by said past has moved on. Honestly, I'm really surprised, Riley. Not only are you the oldest of us, but I felt that you were the only other mature one. But, look at you now. Let me guess: you're a truant who spends his time feeling sorry for himself locked inside his room alone because he can't accept reality." Calem crossed his arms, not amused. "Grow up."

Oh, how the tables have turned. _Why does he have to be like this? The one thing that hasn't changed about him: his snark_. Riley felt like he was shrinking. "I said that that's not it." He was at a loss for words.

"I beg to differ. Really, I'm pretty sure even Ash Collins, of all people, has moved on and matured a bit, more so that you have. Face it, Riley, people change. There is no exception to that. And with change, people mature. But for some reason, you have yet to. If you're going to talk to me, at least have the maturity level of a person of your age when you do so. It's been five years. Grow up. You're an adult now, even. Aren't you?" Calem sure knew how to get on people's nerves. To that, there is no exception.

"Oh, shut up, Calem!" Serena interjected. Even she couldn't sit through this travesty. "Speak for yourself! Change, grow up, _mature_. Do I sound like you yet?! That's all you ever say, you hypocrite. What the hell do you know?! Maybe you should mature yourself, because saying that other people should do so doesn't make you it any more. Maybe that's why no one wants to hang out with you. All you do is look down on people to make yourself feel better, pretend to be smart so you can always say something. At least Riley has feelings. At least he cared about Dawn!"

In the five years that Dawn had not been around to keep them together, the same five years that Serena and Calem have gone to the same schools together, Serena had never talked to Calem as much as she just had. A few words here and there were shared since they were in the same club, but nothing more. But, like he did in the past, he absolutely got on her nerves.

Serena didn't want to add to the conversation, but she knew that Riley wouldn't have the heart to say such brash things. But at the same time, she regretted saying anything at all greatly. Two pairs of eyes were on her as the door caught her interest.

"How nice of you to attempt to say something profound. It's a shame that you're fighting a losing battle." His face was so smug. "Interesting how you seem to have two faces depending on the peers around you."

Serena couldn't stay there any longer. What was once a place of comfort, friendship, and happiness became a suffocating trap of sudden animosity. She grabbed her purse and opened the door, pushing Riley out of the way. "Have fun staring at nothing for the rest of the night, alone, Calem. Ms. Ng only recommended that I helped you observe, anyway."

With that, Serena left the two boys' cone of vision, slowly climbing the rope ladder down to make sure her heels didn't slip off. The heavy silence once again found itself surrounding Riley.

"Unless you're able to identify the constellations on the spot as the bare minimum of intellect, just leave Riley." Calem returned to fiddling with his telescope, unfazed by what just happened. Riley decided to listen to him. He paused as Calem spoke once more. "Just face reality, Riley. Things aren't the way they used to be, and that's not going to change. Grow up. We're too old to be doing this."

Riley ended up dragging his feet through the streets as night fell. _Easy for you to say, Calem. I wish I could. It seems impossible to do now._ He shoved his hands into his pockets. _I guess I know how Dawn felt when I said this junk. Someone just tell me that this is a nightmare. Change this, change that, I've heard that a hundred times today, mostly from my own mouth. But, grow up?_ Riley kicked a pebble ahead of him, which veered off to the left and rested in the middle of the street. _What if I don't actually want to?_

* * *

Author's note: Well, that's the first chapter done. As the summary said, the inspiration behind this was the anime _Anohana: The Flower we saw that Day_. I watched it over my winter break and absolutely adored it. It made me misty-eyed so many times, and I just felt that it was beautiful. I recommend that you check it out if you thought that this concept was interesting, if you want to watch a nice short anime, or if you felt that my story just didn't do it for you. I really hope that I can capture some semblance of it here.

I think it's important to note that I imagine Chanswell to be a town similar to Inaba from _Persona 4_ , so keep that in mind or check it out if you don't know. It kinda matches the town in _Anohana_ , and justifies the significance of a tree house.

As to why the cast I chose: well, why not?

To keep you here a little bit longer, I have one comment. Feel free to ignore this, but this fanfic archive sure has been dead lately. I took a break from reading stuff for about a year or two, now, and I'm greeted with a few stories that are nothing like they were before. No AUs, no summaries saying "IS, CS, PS and ORS" or anything like that, or anything that wacky. It's only, like, journey fics. I don't really mind it, I mean, some are really good; but it can get a little stale sometimes, and I can taste the edge of some of them. And some of the reviews seemed rather unsavory and rude on the few ones that I checked. What happened? Well, at least with my chosen characters, I'll be doing something different, huh?


	2. This isn't a Game

Running, escaping, disappearing, and breathing were top priority to Dawn. She didn't know how else to react. Riley had never gotten angry before. When he was annoyed or provoked, he just voiced it and one of his friends would say something stupid to relieve any and all tension. In short, she was scared. _I can't breath_ e _._

The were few places that she could go. The sun started setting, a beautiful sight, but it did not help her relax in the least bit. _I don't know where I'm going_ , she thought. _Just let me get away._

Dawn couldn't think of one place that she could go. Calem's treehouse was out of the question. If Riley was right at all, then the last thing she wanted was to do was remember all the good times before having her joy crushed by reality. The supermarket? What good would that do her? School? Dawn actually hated school. The floodplain? Actually, she kind of had to pee. And with that, she was out of options. Despite living in Chanswell, a relatively small town, for all her life, she only knew the locations of places that she had to go to. Exploration was not her strong suit, nor was remembering things like street names.

She started slowing down, the fatigue weighing her down. Her dash became a sprint, then a walk, and finally a crawl. Her legs were burning, and her breathing was wild. But, since she felt ridiculous and unsightly breathing through her mouth, she forced herself to breath through her nose, forgetting that only Riley seemed to be able to see her. The sound resulting from dragging her feet across the sidewalk was deafening. Everything else was quiet, and no one was outside. "It's so lonely. Maybe I should have just stayed. Hopefully Riley doesn't hate me now." Dawn hugged herself, her stomach hurting the more she dwelled on such thoughts all alone.

Dawn pivoted and started walking back in the direction she came from. But, a large building caught her eye. A four-story apartment complex to her left beckoned her. "Stride Gardens" was spelled in large letters above the entrance. Dawn found herself walking inside. _Wonder if anyone's home right now._

Another person had started walking in in front of Dawn. He inserted a key into the door and entered the foyer. Dawn just followed closely, not having any keys on her at the moment. _Maybe I should stop keeping important things in my backpack_ , she thought. _But, then again, I don't even have my backpack right now. On another note, at least I know that only Riley can see me. That, or this dude's oblivious._

The man from earlier went on to check his mailbox. Dawn decided to enter the staircase to reach the second floor. The elevator wasn't given a single thought. Although it was a precaution to avoid unnecessary attention as an invisible ghost, that wasn't Dawn's reason for doing so. She never used the elevator to begin with. What use was it waiting for three minutes to ascend one floor when she could get there in half a minute through a little exercise? Also, the rickety old elevator made her paranoid.

She made her way in front of a door with "2B" written on a sticker above a door knocker. She jiggled the doorknob, and to no surprise, it was locked. Dawn puffed her cheeks and groaned, slamming her back against the wall opposite the door for 2B. _Just let me have something today. Something cheer me up before I face Riley again, and hopefully not make things worse._

Two loud clicks made her perk up. _Someone's unlocking the door._ Out walked a couple, two elderly looking people, a man and woman, that Dawn recognized as her upstairs neighbors. "This is my chance to slip in," Dawn said to herself.

"We'll be letting ourselves out now, Johanna," said the woman.

"Yes, we'll drop by again soon," the man said. They stepped out of the doorway and Dawn went in.

"Okay, Izzy, Cara. Thanks for coming by," shouted a female voice from inside the apartment. It was all too familiar to Dawn, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Mom, I'm home," Dawn whispered, knowing very well that no one could hear or see her. She looked around and noticed that everything looked pretty much the same as she remembered it. After a few steps inside, she found herself in the living room. A single plain couch in front of an old flat-screen television set was so familiar to Dawn that she couldn't stop herself from flopping down on the couch and reaching for the remote. After not being able to find it, she jokingly said, "Mommy, clicker!"

Dawn caught herself before she said any more. She immediately stood up and walked over to the small hallway lined with bedrooms in front of the front door, biting her lip and frowning. She opened the first door to her right with no hesitation, seeming to expect something. She was greeted with nothing interesting in the room. A large bed with a TV in front of it, barely visible in the unlit room, wasn't anything that caught Dawn's attention. "Mom and Dad aren't here. Dad's at work, so Mom must be in the kitchen." Dawn's face was just blank.

She exited and softly closed the door. The door adjacent to her parents' room was next. Dawn approached it with great hesitation and reluctance. She twisted the knob and held it, not pushing it in. _Who knows? Maybe Lucas got less scary after this long_ , she thought. She gulped and slowly, quietly pushed the door in.

Inside, there was someone sitting at a desk playing a computer game, hunched over with large black headphones on. He was pressing keys over and over again, while controlling character with a huge sword on the screen. _I was right. That game Riley was playing is just like something Lucas would play._ Dawn took and minute to think it over before revising her thought. _No, wait, it's_ exactly _the same game that he would play. He's playing it right now!_ The same game on the screen that Riley had earlier found itself on Lucas' screen. He groaned, banged the table with one hand, then started playing again.

Dawn made her way over to the bed behind him. She sat down and just watched him for a minute. "You look exactly the same as you did before, y'know," she said. Her brother didn't respond. "Of course. But, I'm pretty sure that if you could hear and see me, you wouldn't respond anyway, huh?" She got up and stood behind Lucas. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she immediately withdrew it, remembering what happened between her and Riley earlier. A plate of fried rice was set off to the side, untouched and cold. "Eat something. Mom'll yell and nag again."

"Shit," Lucas cursed under his breath. Another game over mocked him.

"And you're better at games than me?" she teased. She turned around and stepped away from her brother. Looking back at his bed, she couldn't help but be confused. "Where's Lally?"

Oh, Lally, what an embarrassing name. Dawn gave that nickname to Lucas' Turtwig plushie since he always went "lal" whenever he held it when she was around. The large green stuffed animal was nowhere to be seen, nor was any other one. Despite being six years older than her, he still had a childish side, and an affinity for _Pokemon_. He had a dozen other plushies, too, now gone. "What happened?"

It struck her in an instant. "Change" echoed over and over again in her head in Riley's voice. Looking around, Dawn sighed. _Change was already happening to Lucas before I left. Does that mean everything's even worse right now? Please, Mom, don't come in here to yell with him._ Dawn couldn't stand being there any longer, deciding to move out before she started crying again.

"Don't be a crybaby," she told herself. "At least not now." She quickly left, not looking back. "Bye, Lucas. Everything's going to be alright," she said. But, it was more to herself than anyone else. She would have hugged him, but she could only remember what hugging him in the past got her. A punch to the shoulder, a kick to the shin, a bonk on the head. He got more hostile and less funny as they grew up together.

The last room that was not a bathroom in the hall was her own. It should have been empty and cleaned out, so she didn't hesitate going in. But, what bothered her was that it _wasn't_ empty. Her room was exactly as she remembered it. Her bed was unmade and covered in _Pokemon_ plushies. A shelf mounted on the wall was filled with games and game guides. A trashcan was filled with thrown out notes from cleaning her binder, something she did about twice a school year. It was all the same. Did anyone around the apartment feel _anything_ after her passing?

"Nothing changed here." She froze and bit her thumb, mind in turmoil. "No, wait, did I actually _want_ something different to happen?"

Her eyes immediately set on a large Piplup plushie set next to her pillow. The next thing she knew, she was kneeling on her bed, hugging the plushie like it would disappear the moment she let go. "Yun, make me feel better."

"Wenk, wenk," Dawn replied to herself in a crackly, nasally, deep voice while waving the penguin's flippers wildly. She held it even closer and tighter. One flipper ended up poking her on the cheek over and over again.

"I don't get it. What do I want? What even changed? What stayed the same? Why is this what everything's come to?" Dawn dug her nails into her forearm to prevent herself from crying again. "Why don't I even feel that bad? Why do I want everyone to remember me right now? Am I selfish?"

She released her grip on Yun and held it at a distance. A kiss was planted on its round head, and Dawn started coughing shortly after. She sputtered, dust and lint gathering on her tongue after placing her lips on her favorite plushie. Then, she tossed it back into its original position. "Sick suplex," she half-heartedly exclaimed in an attempt to make herself feel better.

She proceeded to pick up all the other plushies she owned. Altogether, there must have been about twenty stuffed animals on her bed and a nearby shelf. Each one received a squeeze and kiss, no matter the size or fragility it had. A Togepi named Puff, a Cyndaquil named Clyde, a Chingling named Ribbon, and more all received well-deserved attention and affection from their owner that they hadn't received in years. Yun the Piplup got the last hug. "I'll miss you."

Dawn decided to be a bigger man and step away. Despite the fact that she felt like she could spend an eternity just hugging and cuddling her stuffed animals, speaking in different voices assuming the role of each plushie, Dawn knew that she couldn't stay there. Her home was home, but at the same time, it could be Hell.

She dragged her feet to the doorway and took one last look at her room. "I'll be back soon. Promise," she said. A slow, solemn wave signaled her departure. Dawn whipped herself around and forced herself to not look back. Her last destination was the kitchen.

The flickering yellow light of the kitchen was just as seizure-inducing as it had always been to Dawn. _Dad needs to change it when he gets home_ , she thought. And there stood a middle-aged woman with black hair that was visibly graying. She was chopping green onions and dropping them into a pot of soup as she went along. "Mom."

Johanna sighed once she finished the second onion. Opening a cabinet, she pulled out a green box and a purple lighter. The next thing Dawn knew, her mother had lit up a cigarette and taken a puff. A hacking cough came from Dawn as she waved her hand back and forth to fan away the smoke. "I didn't come here to enjoy second-hand smoke." The soup took Dawn's attention since she tilted her head away from her mother. _It doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look good. You can't cook, Mom_ , she thought. A small chuckle came out. _I actually want some now_.

A bowl was whipped out and Johanna took a ladle to fill it to the brim with her cooking. It was then situated on a glass plate. She placed her cigarette on the corner of the sink, lit end hovering dangerously above the wood floor. Dawn stepped aside as her mother then exited the kitchen to deliver the soup. _Please be eating it yourself. I don't want to hear you and Lucas arguing._ She cautiously flipped the cigarette so that the burning end was above the sink, then stepped out.

Taking one last once over, Dawn sighed. _Time to leave. Looks like I really_ wasn't _necessary here. It's just the same as it was when I was back here._ Dawn started chewing on her nails, a nasty habit she developed the summer before she died. Nothing could stop her from doing it. Not even when Serena gave Dawn a manicure and a coat of shiny nail polish did the latter stop biting at them. "I really was a mistake."

Dawn adored a lot of things, and she hated a bunch of things. She finally hit the age where she was able to comprehend most anything that was happening around her right before she died. She had her first existential crisis at the end of sixth grade. Even though she was probably the perkiest and most optimistic person of her group of friends, she secretly was also the most depressed and pessimistic. She realized her worth, or rather lack of, when she noticed that if she never spoke a word when she was hanging out with her five friends, she wasn't that missed. Even though it seemed that Moon felt she herself had this position in their group, Dawn felt it the hardest in secret. Depression and regrets clouded her mind. Perhaps it was a phase, or maybe Dawn really wasn't as bubbly as people made her out to be. _Where do I belong?_

"I'm not eating!" shouted a male voice from the other side of the apartment.

"Just eat _something_ , Lucas, please. You haven't eaten anything today," Johanna said. Dawn suppressed a snivel at the sound of this.

"That's my cue to go," she whispered. _Please stop._ Dawn started to walk towards the front door.

"Take it away!" Dawn heard a clatter of metal and glass.

"Just leave it here, then. Have a little," Johanna said. Peering to her left, Dawn could see her mother standing in her brother's doorway. The scraping of a chair and the sound of a glass bowl hitting a glass plate made her flinch. "Just leave it there."

"I don't want it!" Lucas shouted again. He tried to exit his room, but Johanna was blocking his path.

"Just eat a _little_. Or at least leave it there for a while," she begged. "If you really don't want it, I'll take it away in an hour."

"Take it," he hissed. The plate with the bowl of soup was shoved towards his mother. Dawn didn't know why, but she couldn't move. She was standing a couple yards before the front door, but couldn't bring herself to make it all the way. She felt herself shrinking and on the verge of tears.

"Please, stop," she whispered. _I hate it when they argue. I hate arguing. Just let me go_. Dawn started shaking, her teeth chattering. Then, the door clicked again. _Dad_ , she immediately thought.

The door swung open and a man with an appearance similar to Lucas stepped in. He didn't instantly close and lock the door, choosing to step inside and see what was happening. "Zen me le, zen me le?" he asked in Chinese.

"What happened, what happened," Dawn immediately translated it to be in her head. She had a habit of fixating on the Chinese her parents spoke at home around her. She was able to comprehend a lot of what they said, but found it impossible and embarrassing to speak it herself.

Dawn woke up and squeezed by him, standing in the hallway, but kept her head poked inside the apartment. She kept the door from closing on her and kept listening in. She didn't know why she was torturing herself by listening to the argument, but she just did. _Please, stop_ , she thought once again.

Her father walked in and peered around the corner to see his wife and son arguing. "Lucas, just eat. It's good for you. It's yummy," he said with a thick accent. Lucas only shoved the serving to his mother again. Johanna took it in her hands and sighed. Lucas slammed the door shut, almost making her drop the plate and bowl.

"Zen me le?" their father asked again.

"Mei shi. Guan men," Johanna replied with a frown. It roughly translated to "it's nothing. Close the door."

Her father turned to the front door. Dawn just ran away again. He kicked it closed and locked all four total locks that their door had. Dawn burst outside of Stride Gardens building and into tears. Riley's place was her destination. _He'll yell at me, probably, but at least I feel safe around him. Hopefully he'll forgive me._

"Why? Why?!" Dawn shouted. _It's exactly the same as I remember. Why couldn't this have been the thing to change?! I died for nothing, huh? I felt like dying before I actually did. But, I didn't actually want to leave. I wanted to die, but I was too scared to!_ Dawn wiped at her eyes violently.

She finally stopped running once she found herself outside of Riley's house. Using the front door to hold herself up, she breathed heavily, exhausted and pained. After taking one more deep inhale, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Ahh!"

The area off to the side of the door became Dawn's punching bag. Over and over, she slammed her fist against it, all the while crying. "No, no! Why?! I really meant nothing. I really wasn't worth anything. Maybe I was better off dead, since now they don't have to worry about wasting money on me, at least! Nothing changed! That's how much I meant to everyone!"

A hand placed on her shoulder made Dawn jump, but not stop crying. Riley was standing behind her with a frown on his own face. "Let's go inside," he whispered into her ear. He unlocked and opened the door, then placed both his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly. Dawn just nodded and walked in the direction he prodded her in.

Riley sat them both down on his bed next to each other and just hugged her. Although he seemed quite collected in that moment, on the inside, he was constantly sighing. He was sighing in relief for finding Dawn, in disappointment in himself, in frustration directed at Calem, and in sadness in general. "Don't worry. Don't cry." He put a hand on her head while hugging her with the other. His encounter with Calem and Serena was enough stress and pain to last him for a week. He just wanted Dawn to be happy right then.

Dawn only cried harder. "Fuck everything!" she shouted into his chest. He almost fell back at the shock from it. "Why?" she kept repeating.

"It'll be fine eventually," he said. _I'm not going to say anything that'll upset her even more._

"They still fought. Mom and Lucas still didn't get along. They were shouting again. I'm scared," Dawn whispered and latched onto Riley's forearm with a grip to rival that of a bear and the fish it just caught. "And everything there was the same. Mom was still smoking, Lucas was still isolating himself, and Dad still was oblivious and working."

"Yeah, I guess some things do stay the same," Riley answered softly. Riley wasn't sure what happened to Dawn or where she went while he was out, but he didn't want to freeze the moment. He was pretty sure that she didn't want to talk it out, either. He couldn't bring himself to look at Dawn, though. Not after the pain he unintentionally caused for her. "It'll be alright," he lied. _Well, it's not so much a lie as it is a probably incorrect hypothesis._

"My death didn't mean anything. Maybe I shouldn't have been born," Dawn whispered. This riled Riley up. He grabbed her by both shoulders and made her look him in the eyes.

"No, Dawn, you are worth something. Even though some things you cared about changed doesn't mean everything's horrible. You meant something to everyone. Your family probably just didn't know how to respond to their grief, so they just tried to forget." He pinched her cheek playfully. "And, you meant something to us. The other four… even if we don't hang out with each other, I'm pretty sure none of us forgot you. We loved, no, _love_ you, Dawn. And personally, you gave me reason to keep waking up every morning." Riley internally cringed at himself for saying that last part.

"You're just saying that," Dawn said. Her crying petered out a bit.

"No, I mean it. You were, uh, _are_ worth something Dawn. Stop saying that kind of stuff. Weren't you the one telling me that things were still great?"

"Yeah, but," Dawn said. She didn't finish her sentence, but just sniffed one last time. Drying the last of her tears, she gave a small, soft smile. Dawn allowed herself to fall back onto Riley asked gave him another hug. She didn't notice anything, but he was blushing.

"No more of that, okay? Let's just calm down, at least for tonight." _I don't need any more stress today_ , he thought. Dawn sat back up and smirked. "What's with that face?"

"So you guys love me, huh? Then, _you_ love me?" Dawn teased. She had no real idea as to how Riley actually felt for her, but she knew that she could get a cheap laugh out of this.

Riley sputtered and stuttered once he heard her. "Uh, I," he said, eyes darting back and forth. "Let's just go to bed. Today's been a wild ride," he said.

" 'Kay. But, how's this gonna work?" she asked quietly, her voice spiking while taking a shaky breath. Riley stood up and walked over to a large lump covered by a blanket against the wall with the door. He yanked the cover off and made a motion with his free hand.

"A couch? Why the hell was there a hidden couch in here?" Dawn asked.

"Dad bought it as part of a set. The living room got packed and had no more room, so he got a mover to shove it up here," Riley said. "Never thought I would actually use it, though."

Dawn offered a small chuckle to lighten the mood. She stood up to get to the couch. "Right, well, I would shower, but I'm too tired right now."

"What are you doing?"

"Getting comfy on this couch?" Dawn just sat down. The couch was cold and hard, anything but comfortable. "This thing looks good, but it feels horrible."

"Yeah, that's why you get the bed," Riley said. He took a seat to the space to her right.

"But, it's yours. I don't wanna-" she said, barely audible. Her eyes started drooping, and her throat was sore from shouting and crying.

"Just go." Riley stood, bringing Dawn up with him. He walked her back to the bed, tucked her in, and pet her face when she turned her head at the wrong moment. Once her head hit the pillow, however, all of her sleepiness escaped her.

"Ouch," she joked.

"Sleep." He walked over to his closet to grab another blanket and pillow. He turned the lights off, then lied down on the hard couch and tried to get into a comfortable position, failing miserably. "This couch sucks."

"Yeah. Sucks to be you," Dawn said. Riley could imagine her sticking her tongue out and winking. Silence fell yet again on the two, but for once, it was genuinely comfortable.

"Good night."

After a minute, Dawn realized that she hated silence. The empty feeling it gave her, the weird ringing in her ear, and the awkwardness that came from making even the smallest of sounds were enough to make her mad. "Riley?"

"Yeah?"

"You know what made me feel sad the most?" Dawn asked. All the realizations that she had made that day made her feel sick. _Maybe getting it all out of my system will make me feel better_ , she thought. _But does this make me a bad person?_

"What? If you wanted to play and hang out, I promise, tomorrow it'll happen."

"No, that's not it. What made me feel the saddest today was the fact that I didn't feel sad when I went home." Dawn raised her arms into the air, perpendicular to her body, and started shaking them back and forth. She couldn't stay still.

"What? Wait, you said all that because you went back to your place today?" Riley asked. He felt really dumb and dense for asking that, but he couldn't help that he didn't know.

"Yeah, I went back. And like I said before, everything was the same back there. And even though it hurt to see that it didn't change, and that they were still fighting and dysfunctional, I didn't feel sad about that. I cried because I was scared and hurt, but I wasn't sad about it. I felt sad about and for myself, but not for them," Dawn said. She took a breath, and the silence made her grimace. "I don't know. Even back then, when I was still here, I didn't feel connected.

"Me and Lucas stopped hanging out with each other in the middle of sixth grade. I stopped talking to Mom about anything and everything; I hated when she would try to pry into my stuff. And Dad? It's not like I was ever comfortable talking with him to begin with, or that I was close to him. He was rarely home, anyway," Dawn whispered. "Should I feel horrible? Because I sure do, but it's because I don't actually feel that bad about not being able to talk with them again."

"No, you're not. I guess I can get what you're talking about, but I think it's the exact opposite." Riley rolled over and lied down on his side, facing the general direction that Dawn was in. "I think it's that you care too much that you feel bad. I know that I'm not one to talk, but you're probably sad because you didn't feel connected with them anymore. You must've wanted to get along and be a typical nuclear family so badly that you ended up getting even farther from it."

"Maybe. I _want_ to be normal. Let's just stop talking about it," Dawn said, assuming fetal position under her covers. _No more. Not now, at least._ "But, Riley?"

"Yeah," he said as he stifled a yawn.

"What the hell's a nuclear family?" Dawn genuinely wanted to know. Her question made Riley burst out laughing. It started with a muffled snicker, then exploded. He sat up and kept going. Dawn knew that it wasn't directed at her, but she wanted her question answered. "Well?"

"I'm sorry, but that's just really like you to say," he said, calming down. "It feels… right."

"Okay, okay, I get it. But seriously, people use it, it's on cartoons, what does it even mean? Does it mean a family that's ready to explode, and like, argue?"

"No, it's not. Uh, well, that's not completely it. It's just two parents and whatever children they have. That's it, as long as there's only two generations," he answered.

" _That's_ what it is?"

"Don't feel bad. I googled it myself to know, anyway," he admitted.

"Yeah, you better have," she said. The both of them shared a laugh together. It felt good for each of them. They quieted down and enjoyed the silence. But, even though it was pleasant, Dawn still didn't want it to be quiet. It felt lonely. "Hey, Riley?"

"Yeah?" His voice was muffled, his mouth buried in the thin blanket.

"Can you put some music on? I can't sleep, and I don't want to keep you awake just to talk."

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he said. Riley pulled his phone out of his pocket, still lying down, and tapped its screen a few times.

"What are you doing?" Dawn was not tech savvy, and the only phone that she ever had was a cheap flip phone. After she asked it, the room was filled with the sweet sound of Skillet, "Comatose".

"Good enough for you? It'll be random, whatever comes up." Riley placed his phone, speaker face up with the volume up high, on the back of the couch that was flushed against the wall. Dawn made a sound of agreement.

"You have good tastes, anyway." The songs came and went, and Dawn found herself humming along. Even new stuff that she had never heard before caught her ear.

"You asleep?" Riley asked, he himself unable to.

"Nope," Dawn said, popping the sound on the second syllable. The next song to come on was "This is Who We Are" by Hawthorne Heights.

Once the chorus came along, Dawn couldn't help but sing along. "I did my best and knew it wouldn't last, these were the words she placed on her casket," she sang, although not all of the words were right. These lyrics made Riley clam up. It was just too obvious why the lyrics hurt him when he thought about them, but the fact that Dawn was just so oblivious, and was only having a fun time singing along mindlessly that moment made Riley feel like running away.

 _Please tire out soon, Dawn_ , he thought. He turned over, facing the back of the couch, pressing his forehead against the cold leather. He stayed still and breathed ever so quietly, pretending to be asleep.

"Riley?" Dawn asked as the song approached it's end. No response came from him. "You awake? Can you change the song?" Riley let out a fake yet believable snore, prompting Dawn to slither out of the warm, comfy blanket she was swaddled in.

She followed the music to find its source. Picking the phone up, she pressed the big button at the bottom of the piece of tech and the room lit up. After adjusting her eyes, Dawn stared at the screen and tried to comprehend what she was looking at. She slid her finger across the screen like she saw Riley doing earlier, and found herself browsing his music library. She found the one song that she was looking for and pressed on it, then went back to the bed.

Her song pick started playing and she just sighed in pleasure. Riley, however, stiffened up. His whole body tensed up, hiding his face in his hands as he recognized it immediately. The song was "Meant to Die" by The Used, and the title was just a giveaway as to what it was about. Dawn didn't really think too much about it, only wanting to hear a good-sounding song that she hadn't heard in years.

"Life didn't want this part of me," she sang along with the chorus. "I didn't mean to go," she continued, getting the words wrong. But, the mistaken line made Riley feel even worse once he heard it. His throat suddenly felt dry and he shut his eyes tightly. "I never really meant to die! Oh, this song is amazing," she said to herself. Meanwhile, Riley was almost crying.

When morning finally came, Riley was still asleep. He was usually up by 7 AM, but the time was 8:17 when he heard a knock at the door. He jolted up and snapped his head facing the door. He then slouched down and held his back, aching after sleeping on an unused, hard couch. He squinted at the alarm clock on his bedside table yards away, realizing the time and straightening out his back.

The door shot open and Riley's father poked his head in. "Are you going to school today?" His expression showed a miniscule amount of shock and confusion.

"No," Riley answered. The door closed and two minutes later, he could hear the front door slamming shut. _Not even going to ask why I'm sleeping on this couch today?_ he thought. Riley flopped back down and stretched out. _At least it's another day._

Riley's eyes opened once more when he heard the door open. _What? He just left._ When he sat up and saw who walked in, he immediately blushed and turned his head. Dawn had walked in with only a towel wrapped around her body on, looking rather flustered herself.

"Holy shit, you're awake!" she shouted once she noticed that Riley was sitting up, staring at the wall. She backed up and clenched the towel she was in at the top with one hand, the other gripping a navy blue dress and pink cardigan, what she was wearing the day before.

"Yeah, morning to you, too. Uh, why are you, y'know?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"I woke up a few minutes ago and showered. I got out and realized that I shouldn't come out wearing the same clothes I went in with," she said. "Can you just, I dunno, give me some clothes to borrow or something?!"

"Right," he said, getting up while shielding his eyes.

"You're making this worse than it has to be! I don't want to be doing this either!" she shouted, walking outside. She hid behind the door as Riley rifled through his clothes drawers. "Hurry up!"

"Okay, okay," he said. "They'll be big on you, though, I'm pretty sure."

"Whatever, I won't go out today, then. Just gimme!" she yelled. Riley held a plain shirt and shorts out to her, but didn't walk over. He just chuckled as he realized the situation he was in.

"What is even happening with my life?" he asked himself, shaking his head back and forth.

"You're giving me clothes right now. So unless you want me to call you a pervy jerk for the rest of today, give me, now," Dawn demanded. Water slid down from her hair to her face.

"Right, right," he replied, crossing the room over to her. She ducked into the bathroom and emerged a minute later dressed in his clothes. "Yeah, a bit big on me." The shirt was a little too large, and the drawstring on the shorts was pulled out quite long.

Riley burst out laughing again at the absurdity of the situation, and Dawn soon followed. "That's nice," Riley said.

"Yeah, yeah," Dawn said. A fake pout was short lived as she started giggling again. Riley stopped laughing first and stepped out.

"I'll take the bathroom now." He started walking away, but stopped. "Wait, you showered while my dad was still home?" He ran back to his room.

"Yeah, why?"

"Did he see you or anything?"

"I think you're the only one who can see me, Riley."

"Not like that." He stopped to sigh and shake his head. "Maybe you should wait until he's gone to do anything here. I have no idea how to explain you to anyone, nor do want to. Try to avoid doing anything unless it's just the two of us, okay? No wonder he looked slightly disturbed earlier. He must have heard the shower running and found the only other person in the house just waking up."

"Fine, fair enough. I don't really get the second part of what you said, but, sure." Riley couldn't help but smile at this.

"Yeah. Also, don't go anywhere, okay? I don't know how to find you when you run off," he said. Dawn nodded and he left again. _Well, maybe this won't be as bad as I made it out to be yesterday. Being with her… Maybe if we don't talk about everyone else, it'll be fine. I've got to lighten up, anyway._

The rest of the day, Monday, was characterized by a lack of productivity. Once Riley came back to his room, he found Dawn lying down on her back playing on his 3DS, completely enamoured by _Pokemon Y_. He decided to leave her be and turned on his computer. They wasted the whole day away playing games, occasionally holding pleasant conversation whenever Dawn got super excited by something in _Y_.

The next day, as well as the few days after, that was all that happened. Neither went outside, and neither wanted to. Dawn reverted to her hidden slacker nature once she found comfort in Riley's company, and Riley had yet to find his drive to do anything productive.

Once Friday came around, Dawn's excitement died down. Boredom haunted her due to the fact that she had completed _Y_ the night before. In contrast, Riley was able to entertain himself with _Dark Souls III_ for days on end with it getting sick in the least bit.

Observing Riley from afar became her next hobby, but it did not keep her attention for long. Despite having great amounts of patience, Dawn couldn't deny the fact that she was extremely bored. "Riley, I'm bored!"

"What happened to _Pokemon_?" he asked, not looking away from his game.

"Done. Y'know, the player characters actually really look like Serena and Calem. Their chemistry was even like a diluted version of theirs," Dawn said, giggling.

"Do they, now?" he asked. Riley really hoped that Dawn would stop talking about Calem and Serena.

"Yeah… oh. Uh, bored!" she whined, realizing that Riley didn't want to talk about their friends.

"I can't exactly help you right now, y'know?" The room was quiet; Riley had stopped playing his own game. He still wasn't looking at his friend, but he could sense something off. Dawn letting out sounds of thinking confirmed this. In the reflection of her on his monitor, he could see her face contorting. "What's wrong? It feels heavy all of a sudden in here."

"That's kind of a weird thing to say."

"Yeah, but isn't it?"

"What? No, I just was wondering about something. It's just… I mean, not to be selfish or anything, but, what about my wish?" Dawn moved to sit upright, swinging her legs back and forth over the edge of the bed.

"Right, you're… wish," he said. Once the realization hit him that Dawn _wasn't_ there just to provide him company, Riley felt like the dumbest person in the world. "Dawn, I'm really sorry. I actually forgot about it," he admitted.

"No need to worry, I forgot, too," she reassured him. But, he could tell that she was just saying that to make him feel better. "So, what do we do about it?"

"I don't know. You said that even you didn't know what it was, right?"

"Yeah. I guess it's just trial and error from here, huh?"

"That's great and efficient." He dipped his head backwards and stared at the ceiling. Dawn laughed at this. "But, I actually… don't want to go on a wild goose chase right now."

"Yeah, me neither. But, can we at least do something entertaining right now?" she asked, absentmindedly playing with her hair. Her tone was leading the conversation somewhere.

"You want a new game, don't you?" He could read her like a book. A sheepish smile gave it all away.

"You got me! Please? At least do me that much of a favor," she said, scratching her head with one hand and offering and thumbs-up with the other.

Riley just sighed, but was laughing internally. _Oh, please don't change, Dawn. At least, not like everyone else._ "Tell you what: we'll go out right now and get you a game. And in return, it'll last you longer than a week. In other words, you'd don't make me go out if I really don't want to."

"That's tempting, but the last part is really specific."

"Well, I'm not exactly that well-integrated in society, if you can't tell. I'm not ready to go out regularly like that yet," he said.

"But, what about my… wish?" Dawn felt really uncomfortable talking about something so selfish, but her wish was the whole reason why she was back with Riley in the first place.

"Yeah, uh, when the time comes." Dawn only nodded to this response.

"Right. Okay, then let's go!" she said in the cheeriest voice she could muster. Riley nodded and shut his computer down. "Come on!"

"Right," he groaned. _I really don't want to go out_ , he thought. He grabbed a light sweater from his closet and left his room, Dawn following him closely. At the front door, he slipped on his shoes, his jacket, and put on a black fedora.

"What's with the hat? It looks really funny on you. I think only Ash can wear a hat and _not_ look really bad. Or, maybe Serena," she said, holding in the urge to snicker. "Wait, aren't fedoras for, like, douches or something?! Ha, oh, Riley!"

"Of course you would say that. It blocks some of my vision and makes me feel less obvious… milady. Besides, I thought that it could have… lightened the mood back then," he answered, saying the last part just above a whisper. "Time?" he asked as if the previous few lines of their dialogue hadn't happened. He checked his pockets and pulled out his wallet, counting the money he had inside. He had exactly one-hundred dollars in cash, saved over a period of time.

"2:39," she replied, checking her plain black watch several times over before answering to quell her paranoia. "What was with that last part?

"Let's just go now and hope that not that many people are out right now." Riley wanted to forget the real reason why he had that hat, which was to try to relieve some tension among the remaining five shortly after Dawn's passing. They spent the weeks following her death apart from each other, and Riley bought the hat thinking, hoping that by wearing it, which for some reason became synonymous with being a loser, he could garner a laugh and get everyone on a similar wavelength. He ended up chickening out, and never left his house to begin with.

"It's Friday. And, isn't school over now?"

"You _had_ to remind me?" Riley pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's just go before I regret this any more."

"Got it," she said. They left with Dawn pinching the elbow of Riley's hoodie to make sure they didn't get separated. The summer had yet to subside, the heat still blazing in early September. The hot wind made Dawn feel grody.

Riley walked the fastest he could. He stared at the sidewalk the whole way to the local game store in the shopping district, along the main street. Behind him, Dawn just hummed. He could feel her shaking since she had an iron grip on his coat; he could tell that she was skipping without even needing to look back at her. As long as he felt her behind him, Riley thought that he could survive this outing.

A GameStop loomed over them, shading the fronts of their bodies while the sun blazed on their backs. Riley opened the door for Dawn, then walked in after her. She bounced into the store while he pulled his hat lower to hide himself. But, by wearing it, he probably drew even more attention to himself than he wanted.

The 3DS game rack beckoned Dawn. She bounded on towards it and scanned each case cover for one key word. Two games immediately caught her eye, _Pokemon Omega Ruby_ and _Pokemon Moon_. She grabbed them and called for Riley, but he immediately yanked the cases out of her hands, smoothly shifting himself into a more natural position. "Don't touch anything. I don't know how to explain why there are floating games for no reason," he whispered harshly. He wanted badly to look over his shoulder to see if anyone was staring at him, but his embarrassment from dashing over to Dawn a few feet prevented him from doing so.

Dawn offered a sheepish smile and an okay sign with her right hand. Looking back at the display case one more time, Dawn gasped. "There's more," she breathed. And indeed, there was another game on display, _Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon_. "Riley!"

Said boy looked back at Dawn, who was hopping whilst pointing at the other game she wanted. He couldn't help but groan and sigh. "Dawn, I don't have enough money. You can pick whatever two you want, but that's it. That's all I can afford," he whispered. Forty dollars per game plus tax was a hefty price. He glanced over his shoulder to the registers, where he saw the cashiers occupied by other customers. "Hurry up, and let's go."

"But, I - uh, I mean, yeah. Sorry, Riley, I didn't mean to be so selfish. You're buying this for me, anyway." She hung her head and knotted her fingers together. "Just forget it, then. Don't waste your money on me."

"No, we already made it this far. These two, yeah?" he said as he lined up to buy the two games in his hands. Dawn smiled and took her place next to him, pinching his jacket elbow once more. Riley's eyes were set on the exit the whole time. _I want to go back home right now_ , he thought.

After three customers finished their transactions, Riley stepped up to the only cashier on the job at the moment. He slid the cases onto the table and dug out his wallet. "Good afternoon, sir. How has your day been?" the cashier asked him.

"Fine," Riley answered, removing the two fifty dollar bills from his wallet.

"Uh, Riley?" Dawn asked, tugging on his sleeve. He ignored her and just stared at the money in his hand. "Look up, now."

"Will that be all, sir?" the cashier asked, picking up the cases to read the titles.

"Yeah," Riley managed to say, continuing to ignore Dawn as she tried very hard to get him to look up for whatever reason. The cashier squatted down with a set of keys in his hand and unlocked a case behind the counter to procure the actual games Riley was buying. Riley took this chance to look up to try to avoid staring at the cashier for too long. He regretted it greatly once he caught wind of a mess of black hair stuffed under a familiar baseball cap. Riley recalled the cashier's voice and connected the dots. Then, brown eyes locked with his. _Shit. Why, why me?_

"Riley?" the cashier asked. He stood up straight and threw two new game cases onto the table.

"It's Ash!" Dawn shouted, waving her arms in his direction like noodles. Riley grabbed the edge of the check-out table to prevent himself from falling down. His knees were weak and his mind started racing. "Riley, you okay?"

Riley collected himself and took a deep breath. "Hey… Ash," he managed to say. The large, genuine smile on Ash's face made Riley feel like dying.

* * *

Author's note: I'm not sure whether or not I painted Dawn's family situation correctly. I based the interaction they had on my family life, so it probably is out of character for Johanna and Lucas (I had no idea who to use as her brother, so I just took Lucas. Also, if it really matters, yes, I am Chinese). I have never experienced grief or the feelings surrounding the loss of a loved one, so I tried to make their dynamic sound okay. I tried to make it like the way that her family coped with the loss was to forget her existence. I think I heard that that's an actual reaction that some people have. I wasn't really trying to make Dawn sound edgy and depressed, but I mean, come on, doesn't everyone go through that stage in life that they feel like that? I did. Actually, I think I still am experiencing it.

One last thing: if you can guess why the Piplup plushie was named Yun, I'll have respect for you.

Anyway, thank you for sticking around and reading, and I'll see you maybe next week! Wow, I need to stop with these long-winded author's notes.

* * *

Citylover96 and King Lux, thank you for favoriting this story. Also, Citylover96 , thank you for following as well.

In response to the review from St. Elmo's Fire: Um… thanks, I guess? I mean, I respect your view, but since I'm pulling Calem and Moon from the games, I think it falls into the "all" category rather than just the anime one. Also, I didn't think that "commented" was such an obscure speech verb. I mean, it worked in the context since I had Riley looking around for anything he could talk about, picking a random observation for his statement, so I'll stand my ground on that. I appreciate your insight on this fanfiction community, and for the review, so if you're reading this, thanks.


	3. I Want to Believe

"Hey, how's it been, Riley? I haven't seen you in forever!" Ash said as he picked up a device and started scanning the barcodes on the back of the game cases. Once he finished, he just stared straight at Riley, who was looking at anything but the boy talking to him.

"Yeah, I know," Riley managed to say after pulling at the collar of his shirt.

"That's all you can say? Tell him I say hi!" Dawn exclaimed while fist pumping. "Or at least look him in the eyes."

"Oh, yeah, uh, that'll be $83.18, man," Ash said, grabbing a bag from behind the counter. Riley nodded and slid his two fifty dollar bills onto the table. " _Pokemon_ , though? Wow, haven't seen this in a while, huh?"

"Ask him what other games there are," Dawn whispered into Riley's ear, pulling his shoulder down. "And calm down. Ash is cool, just look! But, why's he working? Ms. Collins is super nice."

Riley took a deep breath and finally looked straight and Ash, who was punching buttons on the cash register. _Just breath. This doesn't have to be hell._ "Yeah, I know. So, why are you, you know, working?" _Smooth_ , he thought.

"Huh? Oh, well I actually started working here covering for a friend. You know Gary, right?" Ash waited for Riley to nod before he continued. "Well, he kinda dumped this onto me last year, but I didn't mind it that much. It's pretty low key here. The pay's not that bad, either."

"Right, low… key," Riley said.

"Riley, what the hell does that mean?" It was as if Dawn read Riley's mind. He casually shrugged.

"Uh, kind of a weird question, but before I go, do you know, uh," Riley said. But the words weren't coming out right. Ash stopped picking up change from the register to wait for him to finish his sentence. "Uh, you know, how many new _Pokemon_ games there are?"

"After Unova," Dawn whisper-shouted.

"After _Black_ and _White_ , I mean." Riley took his hat off and ran a hand through his hair. _This is why I would have liked to stay home._ An awkward silence made Riley regret asking, but Dawn was still tugging on his arm.

"Oh, well that's a good question. I… have no idea," Ash replied, ducking his head. The bill of his hat obscured his eyes. "I stopped playing video games after, uh, you know."

"Right," Riley said, wanting to take back what he had just said. He held his hand out like a cup and let Ash dump his change into it. Dawn quieted down and stopped smiling and hopping. "Uh, thanks."

Ash held out a bag with the two games Riley had purchased in it. The latter boy grabbed it and nodded his head, turning to leave. But, Ash stopped him. "Hey, y'know, I don't really know the games, but I'm pretty sure Moon does. I've seen her come in here a couple of times before. We can go and visit her to find out." A smile found itself on his face again.

"Yeah, let's do that!" Dawn exclaimed, holding Riley's hand. "It'll be fun!"

"Uh, uh," Riley kept uttering. He had no idea how to respond. "Wait, 'we'?"

"Yeah, I'm off shift now," Ash said as he circled around the counter and gave a thumbs up.

"I mean, I think that I can consult Google or something, you know?" Riley tried to weasel out of dropping by Moon's place, especially since he saw a glint in Dawn's eye. "Much easier and convenient. Don't bother yourself with me or anything."

"Come on!" Ash and Dawn simultaneously exclaimed, causing Riley ears to start ringing. Staring at the two, he noticed Dawn sticking up a hand towards Ash for a high-five, eyes closed and giggling. When she realized that she wasn't going to receive one in return, she lowered her arm and offered a sound that wasn't unlike a dog's whimper.

"We can at least swing by and say hi, huh? We both go that way, so," Ash said. And, indeed, he was correct that for both of them to go home, they had to walk the same route to be time and energy efficient. And Moon's house just so happened to be along said route. "It's been a while since I've actually talked to her. Same goes for you, but not anymore."

"I can't exactly say no, huh?" Riley felt exhausted just thinking about what could follow a visit to Moon's with Ash. But, he was kind of backed into a corner. Even if he did say no, Ash would probably trail him and manage to find some way to tangle Riley into his affairs, like he always did.

"All right!" Dawn cheered on in the background, still only visible and audible to Riley.

"Yeah, lemme grab my bag from the back and then we can go." Ash then disappeared into a back room, leaving Riley sighing, grabbing onto his bag with Dawn doing a small victory dance near the exit.

"Riley, this'll work out, I'm sure! Just give it a chance, please?" Dawn said, hands clasped together like she was begging.

"You're lucky I have nothing else to do with my life right now other than to revert to being a hermit," Riley said.

"Come again?"

"It's nothing. I just hope that this isn't as painful as I'm imagining it to be."

Ash walked back to Riley, a sports bag slung on one shoulder. He looked like a walking advertisement, with his pants the only article of clothing that provided relief from obvious brand names. "Alright, let's go!"

The three made it down the first street from the store with no issue. Riley and Ash walked side by side in silence as Dawn hummed and skipped behind them. But, the quiet proved too much for Ash, who couldn't help but start up another conversation. "So, why'd ya come by to buy those games? Aren't they kinda old?"

"Yeah," Riley breathed. His mind started racing again, and his mouth started moving on its own. "It's for Dawn."

They stopped at a crosswalk with a red light and Ash looked at Riley, bewildered. "Dawn?"

"Hey-o!" Dawn clapped both of her hands on Ash's shoulders. He slumped down, confusion and discomfort evident on his face.

"Wait, I meant that I, well," Riley said. _Well, I screwed up. Damn, how do I change the subject?_ The sign across the street lit up white, prompting them to start walking again. "Hey, man, do you, uh, know anything about, like, a wish… that Dawn had before, y'know?"

Riley started counting the cracks on the pavement as he stepped over them, shoulders aching from hunching over for so long. "Yeah, come on, Ash!" Dawn cheered on. A shaky smile was on her face as she clapped her hands together quietly.

Ash recovered quickly. He lifted his hat, wiped his forehead, and offered a small smile. "Whaddya mean by that?"

"I just meant that I've been thinking a lot about… stuff lately. And one thing that's been on my mind is that I feel like Dawn, y'know, left us with some unfinished business. No, I _know_ that she did." Riley looked at Ash and saw him staring intently at him. Riley took a deep breath and tipped his head back. "Can I tell you something?"

"Hey, what're you getting at?" Dawn butted in. Riley had been focusing on Ash the whole time they were walking. It made sense for him to not talk to her in public, which would have made him look like he was talking to himself. However, she felt very left out. That wasn't to say that she didn't enjoy just being near Riley, though, and now with Ash, even. She took an exaggerated inhale and pretended to slap her own cheek. "Oh!"

"Yeah, man, shoot," Ash said. "But, wow, Dawn? Man, I haven't heard or said her name since… a long time ago, y'know?"

"Yeah. Well, brace yourself." Riley started poking the plastic of the shopping bag with his nails, effectively forming a hole in it. He did it over and over again, trying to ease his anxiety. "What would you say if I told you that… I could, uh, see Dawn right now?"

"What?" They stopped at another crosswalk, a car zooming by with its horn honking, preventing the two boys from zoning out. "Wait, you can _see_ her?"

Dawn grabbed Riley's hand and gave him it a comforting squeeze. Then, she bounded over to Ash and wrapped her arms around his neck, bouncing up and down, causing him to start shaking. "Ow, my shoulders feel heavy right now." Ash stood up straighter and rolled a shoulder, making Dawn let go of him and step away back to Riley.

"Yeah, I… can."

They were quiet for and good minute, not moving. Finally, Ash reacted. "So, is she, like, here right now?"

Riley went slack jaw. That Ash was taking what he just said so nonchalantly and as truth almost made him choke on his own spit. But, then again, Ash was pretty gullible and dense. "She is."

"Really?!" Ash whipped his head left and right with a grin, eyes large and darting in every direction. "Where?"

"Hold on. You really believe me?" Riley asked, absolutely dumbfounded.

"Well, yeah, why wouldn't I?"

Riley sighed and stammered before formulating a sentence. "I can name a lot of reasons as to why you shouldn't believe me."

"Whaddya mean? You never lie, dude," Ash said. "Besides, those ghost shows on TV are pretty cool."

Oh, poor Ash. Riley didn't have the heart to tell him that those supernatural television shows were more than likely complete and utter bullshit. He let Ash have some blissful ignorance. "Right."

"Yeah, man." Ash smiled wider and held out a fist. After a minute of leaving him hanging, Riley realized that he wanted him to return the action. So, Riley offered a flaccid fist bump to his old friend. "So, Dawn, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Dawn said, offering a salute. Riley relayed the message.

"Sweet! How've you been?" Ash asked quietly.

"Could be better, but I'm good." Riley echoed this so that Ash could hear. Ash's face lit up, which made Riley feel even more uncomfortable.

"Do you really believe me, Ash? Seriously, you can say no if you don't. I'm telling you the truth, but, just realize the conversation that we're having. I must sound like an insane lunatic right now! Or at least a blatant liar."

"Yeah, I know. But, I still believe you." Riley smiled and shook his head.

"You're too nice a guy, Ash." _Goddamn, you really are. If only you didn't fall into the cool crowd._ They went mobile once again, Moon's place just two streets away. Along the way, Dawn kept trying to start a conversation with Ash, but Riley was refusing to be her voice box. _Don't start something that I'll have to finish later, Dawn. I'm lucky enough that Ash believed me and is so friendly._ But, there was one question that Riley had to pose once more to Ash.

"Hey, Ash, like I said earlier, do you have any idea what wish Dawn had?"

"Wish? What's that supposed to mean?"

"That's why I can see Dawn. Rather, it's why she's here at all," Riley admitted. Dawn stayed in the background, quite literally twiddling her thumbs as she waited for the conversation to continue.

"Really? Well, I guess that makes sense." Ash scratched his head lazily.

 _No, if anything it makes even less sense thinking realistically. If this were a cartoon, then maybe. But, then again, if it were a cartoon, I probably wouldn't be in such a shitty situation. Everything works out on TV._ Riley wished he could stop thinking, if only for a minute. "Well, anything?"

Ash pinched his chin in thought, closing his eyes and letting out a droning hum. His eyes shot open and started shooting back and no forth, desperately trying to come up with something. He finally came to focus on the bag in Riley's hand, then pointed an index finger in the air as if to say "eureka". With the other hand, he pointed at the bag. "I remember something!"

"Of course you do," Riley said slowly. "You can just say it, y'know."

"I remember: once, she told me that she wanted to "pwn a random noob" with a Piplup named Gunter!"

"What? Wait, what does that even mean? No, before that, even; that's so specific!" Riley exclaimed.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure Moon'll know what it means. Or, you can just ask Dawn right now," Ash said. Riley glanced at her and pinched the bridge of his nose as he saw her with a sheepish smile, a hand up waving left and right. "I remember because she told me!"

"Helpful."

"No, it was after she and Calem went at each other about who was the better water starter, Piplup or Mudkip. He, Serena, Moon, you, and me went with Mudkip, and she stuck with Piplup. Then, I switched over to support her." Riley was jealous as to how easily Ash could remember Shadow of Losers' old dynamic with such a light attitude, as well as his unbridled optimism.

"Again, super specific." Riley couldn't believe Ash could recall such a precise moment in their history. "But, I do vaguely remember that."

"Ha ha, well, I remember a lot about my time with Dawn, especially when it was just the two of us. Y'know, you really hogged her back then, man. Even Moon and Serena never spent as much time with her as she did with you." Ash lowered his voice, slightly worrying Riley. Dawn just tilted her head to the side behind them.

"Did I, now?" Riley never thought about it that way. He just hung out with Dawn because she was there and wanted to hang out with him. He welcomed her with open arms. "Well, either way, is it her wish?"

"Could be!" Dawn said, finally talking after so long. She gave a brilliant smile that made Riley groan.

"Of course it could be." Riley said. _Just gives even more reason to visit Moon._ Just _what I wanted._

"She said I was right?" Ash asked. He once again radiated his usual aura of happiness and optimism.

"She said possibly," Riley said.

"Never know if you don't try," Dawn offered.

"How would I do that?" Riley asked, referring to the wish that Ash said.

"We can ask Moon," Ash and Dawn said in unison.

Riley just groaned and continued walking. But, for some reason, he felt that he couldn't keep his trap shut for the trek. He had an unanswered question regarding his past friend that had been bothering him since he walked up to the register. Riley just had to know what was happening with Ash. "Hold on, Ash, how is it that you _just_ got off of work when it's a school day?"

"Oh, I actually skipped after lunch today. That was, like, noon, I guess. So, yeah." Ash didn't look like he had any stress or worry in the world in that moment, waving off such a matter with ease. Riley was jealous. Why couldn't he be so positive about not going to school? "But don't tell anyone," Ash said with a wink and index finger in front of his mouth.

"Lips are sealed," Dawn said with a cadence that made it hard to discern whether she was being honest or sarcastic. Riley decided to shut up for the rest of the walk.

After five minutes, the two boys found themselves standing on the porch of the Lukin household; Dawn was straggling a little less than half a block behind, unintentionally stomping her feet from exhaustion. Without even waiting for Riley to collect himself, Ash rang the doorbell. Once the chime finished, Dawn caught up to them and started breathing loudly, a stray bead of sweat falling down from her forehead. "You guys walk too fast."

Riley rolled his eyes, then discreetly checked his phone for the time. _4:06. There's too much time._

Within the next minute, an older woman opened the door wearing an unamused face. She placed her hands on her hips, her long brown hair swaying with her, and a cat came from inside, hugging her feet. "Can I help you?"

"Hello, Mrs. Lukin!" Ash greeted. Riley nodded in acknowledgement.

"And you are?" she asked, not recognizing her daughter's old friends.

"We're Moon's classmates. We were wondering if we could talk to her right now. Is she home?" Ash said. Riley could never figure out how Ash was always so naturally smooth and confident like he was.

"Yeah, we have a… project together," Riley said, saying the first excuse to come to mind. _Mrs. Lukin was always really stingy with Moon._

The woman stepped aside and motioned with her arm to enter. "Take your shoes off before you go. Her room is the first one upstairs to the right. But, make it quick; she has a tutor coming over in a while."

Neither boy bothered to interrupt her and say that they knew which room was Moon's, fearing being kicked out of the house for being rude. Mrs. Lukin was surprisingly strict and controlling when it came to Moon. Her other daughter was a different story, however.

They went upstairs without saying a word, trying to make a good impression on their friend's mother after several years. Dawn just kept whipping her head around and gazing at things with starry eyes. "Moon's place is still super cool." A porcelain owl statue caught her eye for no reason at all except that it looked so out of place and expensive. Its clashing vibrant pastel colors looked horrible together.

The three stood outside of Moon's door, and without hesitating, Dawn knocked three times. As she was standing behind Riley, Ash thought that he knocked. Riley shot her a tired look. Ash then opened the door without waiting for a response from Moon and stepped in.

Inside, in all her glory, was Moon lying down on her bed on her stomach, kicking her legs in the air while holding a black and blue 2DS XL. Next to her was an open family-sized bag of potato chips, nearly empty, and two small bottles of cola on the floor, one and a half drunk. She was in the middle of biting into a chip fragment when the she heard the knock, and the door opened before she could collect herself. She was still holding the chip when the two boys came in and stared straight at her.

Immediately, she jolted up, dropping her DS and sitting up, wiping her fingers on a napkin. After a good minute, she offered a flaccid wave, saying "Hey, how's it goin'?"

"Moon!" Dawn skipped over and hugged the other girl tightly, sneaking a chip from the bag while the other three were preoccupied staring at each other.

"It feels heavy right now," Moon whispered to herself.

"Hey, Moon!" Ash exclaimed.

"How's it been?" Riley said to not be rude, in a voice so low it was almost drowned out by the turning of a plastic fan in the background. He actually hoped that no one noticed him. But, Moon gave a big, toothy smile his way, silver braces on her teeth making her look even more goofy in that moment.

"Sorry, but, why the hell are you guys here?" She picked her 2DS back up and pressed a few buttons, then clamped it shut, tossing it aside. It was impressive how she managed to be so blunt all the time, more times unintentionally that not, yet not sound snappy or pissed off. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, did you do the pre-calc homework?" Ash said with no hesitation.

"What?" Riley whisper-shouted.

"Come again?" Moon accidentally dropped her DS into a drawer instead of placing it down gently from the sheer absurdity of the question. "We're not even in the same math class! Wait, no, I'm not even in pre-calc!"

"Yeah? So…" Ash said with a straight face. Dawn knew what was happening, and burst out laughing, not even knowing what pre-calc was.

"Oh, Ash, you suck! That's amazing!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Am I missing something?" Riley asked, eyeing the door. _It's a clean shot to the front door from here_ , he noted. Then, Riley had somewhat of an epiphany. _Oh, that's right. It's Ash were talking about._ "Oh. Comic relief."

Moon's face lit up, letting out a sound signalling a eureka moment. "Oh!" Then she just started roaring with laughter, chortling without a care in the world. Ash joined in soon after. She kept yukking it up for a good minute before it petered off to a slow sequence of ha-has. Dawn kept chuckling in the background, splayed out across Moon's bed, ringing in Riley's ears.

Her face flared up in an instant and she grabbed her cheeks with her hands. Her fingers were fanned out, making it obvious that although she was embarrassed, she was still smiling to herself. "If anything, it would have made more sense if Riley asked it," she said, not removing her hands from her face.

"Why?" Riley asked.

"We're in the same class. Calc AB with Ms. Turner, right?" She finally stood taller, letting her arms dangle at her sides.

Riley wish she hadn't clarified what she meant. _She_ usually _changes the subject as quick as she blinks when she gets flustered_ , he thought. He actually did not know the answer to the question, having not gone to school so far in the semester, nor had he even glanced at his schedule that was sent in the mail. "Uh, maybe."

"Yeah, you are. She always calls attendance and says… your… name," she said. She slowed down her words as she focused her vision on the boy she was talking to, realizing his relationship with school. Once her words came to a full halt, she started laughing uncomfortably. "So does, uh, Mr. Meyer and Ms. Valence, and I should… stop talking huh? I'm gonna, uh, do that."

"Oh yeah, Ms. Valence does do that!" Ash shouted unnecessarily. Riley flinched and started staring at the exit once more. "Oh, hey, Moon?"

"Uh-huh?" She nodded with blank eyes and her mouth open. She looked like she was zoning it for a minute there.

"We're here to play _Pokemon_!" Ash yelled. Riley shut his eyes tightly and took a sharp intake of air once he heard this. Without warning, Ash then snatched the bag in Riley's hand and took its contents out, holding them above his head.

"Don't, Ash, what the hell are you doing?" Riley exclaimed. He felt immediate regret for coming along with Ash. _Of course he would drag me into something like this._

"Whaddya mean? Didn't you say that Dawn wanted her wish granted?" Ash asked.

Riley was about to answer, but he had no idea as to how he should respond. Anger? Well, Ash would diffuse the situation in a heartbeat. Frustration? His blood pressure was high enough that day. Not at all? He would look like an asshole if he just stormed out of Moon's house after he was so kindly invited in. It was a good thing that he didn't have to.

"Dawn?" Moon breathed. She covered her mouth with her hand and tried to pass her shock off as a yawn, the operative word being "tried". She sat back down on the bed, unknowingly right in front of Dawn's stomach. Dawn sat up to the left of Moon and rested and elbow on the girl's shoulder, donning a sad smile.

"Let's just get this out in the open as quickly and painlessly as possible." Riley took a huge breath and curled his hands into fists, digging his nails into his palms. "As ridiculous as it sounds, I can see Dawn. She's a… spirit that's here right now. She's sitting right next to you Moon. And, she's here and can't move on until she gets a wish of hers granted. And her wish may or may not be…"

Ash chimed in when he realized that Riley wasn't going to finish his sentence. "To pwn a noob with a jacked Piplup."

Moon was just slack jawed, shaking her head and chewing on her thumb nail, nervously giggling every few seconds. _At least this is a more rational reaction that Ash had_ , Riley thought.

"Why? No, I mean, what?" Moon was visibly shaking. She walked over to a wall and just stood there, staring at it. She started twisting the bottom of her shirt, an odd sight for the two boys in the room. Dawn walked up to her and put an hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch me!"

She turned around in a second, left staring at two boys standing at the opposite corner of the room than she was in. Riley and Ash stared back, the former slowly inching closer to the door. "We didn't," Ash said.

"Why the fuck are you guys here, anyway? Here to make me feel even more shitty? Laugh at me?" Moon shouted. Poor Moon: laughing and swearing were her defense mechanisms. "Make me feel worse and rub it in my face that she was my only friend, and now, since she's gone, I'm all alone?!"

Dawn flinched back and almost fell down. She stayed quiet and made no effort to stand up. It wasn't like she could hold a conversation with Moon right then and there, so she didn't waste her breath. The volume and pitch of Moon's scream reminded her of Riley the night she first appeared. Dawn didn't want to say or do anything to spark another chain of events like that, or even anger Riley in the process in addition to Moon. "I'm right here, Moon," Dawn whispered.

The whole scene froze. No one moved or said anything, nor did they want to. Moon had slapped both of her hands over her mouth and slouched over, almost squatting down, eyes shut tight. Riley put his hand on the doorknob, but didn't have the heart to leave, especially since Moon looked like she was on the verge of tears. Ash was quiet, a rare sight, with his head dipped down and the brim of his cap shadowing his face. Dawn crawled over and back onto Moon's bed, curling up and biting her lips. The best way to define the feel of the room was uncomfortable and awkward, which just so happened to be the self-proclaimed least favorite, yet most accurately attributed adjectives you could apply to Moon.

Dawn suddenly felt a strange tingling along her right leg. Instinctively, she twitched her leg, kicking it up and off the bed with immense force since she didn't feel like lifting her arms. The phantom feeling disappeared and she dropped her leg back down, letting gravity do its job. A thud followed, and something flew off the bed from the jolt. A small gray blob dropped down and rolled a few feet from the bed, causing Moon to look forwards.

Lying on its head and back, a Pidove plushie was on the cold tile floor of Moon's room. Once she saw this, she dived forwards and dropped to her knees. She picked the plushie up and started blowing on it, lightly slapping it to get the dust off. "Coo, no."

She then cupped the bird plushie in her two hands and brought it to her face. She kissed it square on the head, right on top of its mini comb over-like hair. Pidove was one one of her favorite Pokemon. Once the anime for _Pokemon Black and White_ came around, she fell in love with Satoshi's slow yet adorable Pidove.

"Coo?" Dawn perked and sat up. Moon was then found caressing the stuffed animal. "It's been a while, huh, friendo? You've been protecting Moon since I gave you to her?"

"Dawn," Moon whispered to Coo, still forgetting that there were two boys in her room that she had still yet to properly greet. She stood up and took a deep breath, then placed Coo on her shoulder, tilting her head to keep the plushie in place. "I'm sorry for freaking out like that."

"Water under the bridge." Riley wasn't sure whether or not he truly meant that himself. _But, this_ is _Moon we're talking about here… Oh, great, I'm sounding like Dawn about this._

Ash said a simple "Yeah."

"I really am. I just - just what did you mean back there?" Moon plopped back down on her bed, tossing Coo up and down like a baseball. Then, she proceeded to hold it in one hand and moved her arm in a wave pattern, all the while making what seemed to be airplane noises. This proved to be calming as Moon then looked straight into Riley's eyes once she was ready without any fear. Neither boy commented on her childish quirks, only looked towards her with understanding, not like she was an alien. They were used to it by the second month they knew her back in third grade. Dawn felt the urge to join in with a plushie of something she had never seen before: a blue creature that looked like a seal, with a cute pink nose, a vibrant collar, and two round little paws right next to a pillow. She decided against it to avoid freaking Moon out even more than she just had done, even though the urge to act like an idiot while having fun in the presence of close friends was strong.

"No sweat," Ash said. He waltzed over to a swivel chair with wheels and sat down without asking, using his legs to kick himself to the center of the room. "But, like we said, Dawn wants a wish granted."

"What do you mean by… Dawn?" Moon's eyes shot back to Coo, and she started fidgeting in place. "She's, she's gone."

"Well, Riley here can see and talk to her! It's pretty cool," Ash said. Riley could only hold his face in his hand as Ash hyped up such an impossible concept.

A conversation between Ash and Moon consisting of Moon making skeptical and defensive remarks and Ash trying to convince her otherwise went on in a loop for a few minutes. All the while, Riley was leaning against the door, his mind occupied. Back and forth, he couldn't decide on whether or not to just slip out and never look back, as well as never leave his house again, or join in on the conversation.

 _I should just come out clean and say everything that's happened to me these past few days. I might feel better if I just purge these weird feelings from my head. I could go for an emotional catharsis right about now. After Dawn, Ash and Moon were the most understanding and easy-going out of all of us_ , Riley thought first, tapping his fingers against the wall.

 _But, at the same time, I can't exactly just dump all this information on them. Looking at what I have to day from a distance, I'm spewing nonsense. Even if_ I _know that I'll be telling the truth, if I were talking to anyone else, I would be admitted to an insane asylum in a split second._ Riley couldn't help but hesitate. _I haven't talked to then in five years, anyway. What right do I have coming to them and forcing my personal problems onto them? I shouldn't say anything. I'll leave at 4:30 sharp._

Dawn got up and started tugging on Riley's left arm. "What wrong? Go and talk to them!"

Riley unconsciously started shaking his head no. He grabbed her right arm and held it close to his face. Staring at her watch, he read the time to be 4:27. The seconds hand seemed to have weights slowing them down to Riley. Looking up and paying attention to the scene ahead of him, he felt like he wasn't missing anything by fading away into the background. That was one of his talents, anyway.

"You still play _Pokemon_ , though, right?" Ash asked.

"Uh, well, what's it to you if I do?" Moon's tone practically gave the answer away. She might as well have said "yes".

Riley looked back down to Dawn watch. "I could take it off if you want it that much," she said, fiddling with the strap of the cheap piece of plastic on her wrist.

Riley put his hand on top of hers to stop her from moving and taking it off. _4:29, a little more than half a minute till 30. They're absorbed in their conversation. Just leave and they won't notice you_ , he told himself. His hand twisted the doorknob back and forth quietly while his eyes fixated on the seconds hand of the watch.

Once it hit 4:30, he slid the door slightly ajar, but closed it immediately after. _But, Ash came all this way with me, even if it was his idea. This could help with Dawn's wish. She's even enjoying being in their company, even if she can't talk to them herself._ He glanced back at the wristwatch, having not dropped Dawn's hand the whole time. "You can let go now," she said.

"4:32," he said to himself more than Dawn. She pressed her head against his to share the view of her watch, face feeling warm from being in such close proximity with someone. She had no idea what he meant by the time, though, but there was a little more than a minute before the time he just said.

 _4:32 and I'll say something. I'll step in and we'll get along like we used to. Yeah, that's it. Just one minute and I'll grow a pair, actually say more than one sentence at a time that has an average word count of about ten, and not run away. "Hey, Moon, Ash, why don't we just play right now?" is what I'll say. Yeah, just say that and work it out from there,_ he thought, overthinking things out.

There was about ten seconds left before 4:32, and Riley felt his stomach lurching. _No, just say that and don't leave. "Let's just hang out, guys," simple as that._ He edited his plan drastically and felt a little better. The minute changed, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Wow, that's a lotta games," Ash said to Moon. He was looking at her game collection, all lined up in a drawer and nearby shelves with swag from Nintendo to Sony.

"Yeah, I.. get bored," she responded with. Both were too absorbed in trying to hold pleasant conversation to acknowledge Riley. Moon was trying too hard, but Ash hardly had to try at all.

 _But, wait, Dawn's watch is usually three minutes fast. So, there's at least two minutes before it's really 4:32. So, in two minutes, I'll say it. Yeah, but at the same time, they're doing fine on their own. If I interrupt, I'll just be a weird third wheel. It might actually be best if I leave. Yeah, I'll leave at 32 instead of talk._

"Why are you thinking so much? You're gonna put a hole through my watch, and then my hand if you keep glaring like that," Dawn said, trying to bring Riley back down to Earth.

4:35, actually 4:32, came, and Riley had yet to do anything. _No, I came this far. I have to say something. I'm already here. I've wasted enough time; I'm gonna get something out of this. At least for Dawn_. Riley couldn't stop being so indecisive. Back and forth, he just kept fighting himself as to whether or not he should stay or go, starting feeling sick. _No, no, just say something, anything right now._

"Is that really what's up, Riley?" Moon said, very wary about whatever Ash had told her. Riley did not comprehend anything that the two had said in the past five minutes, too absorbed in counting the seconds to the odd deadlines he set for himself.

"What?" Riley said, snapping out of his unhealthy fixation on time and productivity.

"That's what he told me. Dawn's here right now, right?" Ash asked.

Riley tried to say something, but his throat felt so dry. Instead, he let out loud breaths that would have been uncomfortable to listen to on its own had he not been shaking his head up and down.

"Right here!" Dawn chimed, smiling and walking up to Moon to pat her head.

"I… don't know what to say. Or how I should react." Moon started hugging herself and skidding her foot across the floor.

"You still play _Pokemon_?" Riley asked lamely, his previous plan gone out the window. _Damn it! I just had it. So much for not embarrassing myself._

"Ash already asked me that," Moon replied. "I do."

"The do you have…" Riley said. He sighed and just gave in to his lighter, easy-going side. After a gulp, he suddenly felt a lot better, like he could breath. "A stacked Piplup to wipe to 'pwn' someone?"

"Dear God, Ash wasn't kidding." Moon gave a melodramatic gasp and put a hand over her heart. Then she put her hands to her face like she was the guy in the painting _The Scream_ , her mouth open to match. From her head down, she made a sassy wave with her body. "Has the world gone mad?"

Everyone else in the room felt, in a word, confused. "What are you talking about?" Riley asked. _I just felt… comfortable. It kind of feels right in here._

Moon was inhaling, but once she heard Riley's question, her breathing audibly hitched. She froze, except for her eyes which kept darting between Ash and Riley. Then, with all seriousness, she whisper-shouted "I don't know."

"What?" Ash asked with an unwavering smile.

"I thought that what I said was relevant to this situation," Moon whispered, stance not shifting even though her cheeks once more became rosy. Then, she started cracking up. But this time, it was genuine; it was light, pleasant, and consistent. Every so often, after a string of ha-has, she took sharp, quick intakes of air, then laughed even harder the next time around. It wasn't quite melodious or gentle, but it had heart behind it. It was infectious. Dawn chortled, then Ash guffawed. Finally, Riley started snickering. They were laughing _with_ her.

"Oh, Moon, I love you!" Dawn exclaimed.

Suddenly, the room felt welcoming. All weight and awkwardness disappeared with the ringing of Moon's laughter. If Dawn had to define each of her friends' most flattering and favorite trait of hers, for Moon, it had to be her authentic laugh. Something about it was just so comforting and endearing. Once you heard her genuine laugh, it would be hard not to join in or smile, which starkly contrasted with her uneasy one.

There was just something about Moon that made it so easy to like her. She had her share of quirks, and in the past, Calem had even argued that she had an overabundance of them. She really wasn't trying to be so, with a lack of better words, not normal. She was defined by her peculiarities and laugh, as well as her ability to spontaneously start blushing and clamming up once she felt even the teeniest bit embarrassed. Once you got past her initial awkwardness, you had a great friend in Moon.

"Wait, what are we laughing about again?" Moon finally said. _I really forgot why we're laughing right now. It was just too fun at first that I focused too hard on laughing like I just did. It's been too long since I've laughed like that, too_ , Moon thought.

Once more, the crew started up laughing again for a minute. The first one to stop was Riley, which was pretty predictable. "Uh, well, _P-Pokemon,"_ Riley managed to say.

A knock at the door caused everyone to stop giggling like idiots. A female voice called on from the other side. "Moon, is everythin' okay in there?"

Moon started sputtering, gesturing with her hands frantically, trying to her come up with something to say. You would think she would have recited some deep poetry with how long it took her to formulate a response, but instead she just said "Fine, Luna!"

"Alright, I'm gonna go out now. See ya tonight!" called the unknown voice, Luna.

Moon dashed over to Riley, put her arms on his shoulders, then pushed him out of the way. She then poked her head out and stared at the figure descending the stairs. Ash, Riley, and Dawn peered outside as well. They saw a figure with black hair in two braids in a tank top and shorts, staring at and typing madly on her phone, and immediately recognized who she was, not like the name didn't give it away already.

"Oh, yeah, how's Luna doin' anyway?" Ash asked.

"Oh, her?" Moon closed the door and let out a suspicious giggle. "Everything's good here."

"You sure?" Riley asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Does she still look just like you for whatever reason?" Dawn asked, jabbing Riley in the ribs to try to get him to say it for her.

Riley hesitated before saying anything. _Would it be crossing any boundaries by going about things like it was five years ago? Ash can do it no problem, but I'm not him_ , he thought.

"Riley, say _something_ ," Dawn goaded.

"Uh," he said, drawing attention to himself. Moon and Ash looked at him and waited for him to finish. "So, Luna and you still… similar?" He sounded very unsure about using "similar" as the word he did. He regretted it immediately.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, well..." Moon started looking at the ground. "Yeah, we still do keep getting compared. But, we've stopped being called twins, though!"

Ash offered a shaky thumbs-up. "Cool."

"Then what?" Riley asked.

"Oh, well, everyone that does compare us calls her the older sister." Moon stared wistfully at the plushies on her bed.

Dawn, Ash, and Riley all took a sharp intake of air and winced at this. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up," Riley said.

"Don't worry! It's not like it hasn't happened before, right?" Moon tried to lighten the mood.

"You're still gonna hold me to it?" Ash asked loudly, overdramatically putting his hands on his hips and stomping. Moon smiled at this.

"I didn't mean you in specific, y'know? I even forgot that you thought that she was my older sister. But now that you remind me…" Moon said sinisterly, tapping her fingertips together. Ash felt a chill run down his spine. Moon started laughing again for real; even though Ash joined in, he still felt a little unsettled. When she wanted to be, Moon could be scary.

"But, really, it's nothing. Just forget it, huh?" Moon gave an unconvincing smile. The stares she got from the boys made her cave in. "I mean, it _did_ happened a lot back then, right? I guess I'm used to it, but… I just wish people would stop doing that. I mean, _I'm_ the older sister, even! Even if it's just by one year."

Riley awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder and patted it. "It happens," Riley said. "At least, I think it does," he whispered.

"No, just forget it." Moon stepped backwards.

"I adore you way more, Moon!" Dawn said, hugging Moon once more.

 _What is with this weird feeling? Nothing's even touching me_ , Moon wondered.

"It's this what a sister complex is?" Ash asked. It was hard to tell if he was being serious or providing comic relief again. Riley and Moon looked at him incredulously.

"Really?" Riley asked.

"No, it's not." Moon looked like she had the answer.

"What is it?" Dawn didn't know, either. _They'reusing a lot of big words, huh?_ Although her appearance looked older, Dawn certainly did not have the mindset or knowledge of a young adult.

"It's, like, when a person idolizes and/or loves their sister, a lot," Moon answered.

"And why do you know that?" Even Riley wasn't sure what it was.

"I looked it up. It's in anime and games and stuff, so…" Moon stopped talking, blushing and giggling uncomfortably. "I mean, I'm… in AP Psychology this year, and we... are studying complexes right now." Another unconvincing smile was on her face.

"Wasn't the AP Psych teacher the one who went on maternity leave at the end of last year?" Ash asked. _I'm_ pretty _sure that's what Gary told me about her. Paul even told me_. "Gary said he was surprised that she even had a husband. Paul told me that she sucked, couldn't teach, and that she just expected people to read the textbook and know everything that she asked about," he recalled.

"Really? I meant that… Wait, what?! They took AP Psych as juniors? What the hell?! I only had two APs last year!" Moon whined. "My junior year was wasted. Even Luna has more APs than I had. I'm only taking two this year as well." Moon looked defeated.

"What are you guys talking about? What is 'AP'?" Dawn was completely lost. She could barely follow her classes back in middle school. How could she be expected to understand high school lingo like they were using? She didn't. She tugged on Riley's hand, but received no response.

Riley winced silently to not let Moon notice him. _I had three last year and four this year_ , _even though I didn't want them. I was just thrown into them because I did good on tests,_ he thought. _I barely passed each year, anyway. If they included participation grades instead of just feeding test scores into sorting machines, then I'm pretty sure Moon would have had better chances and that I wouldn't have been in any. Or would she? No, she wouldn't; she doesn't raise her hand in class. Oh, well. 65s are good enough for me, and I don't even have to go to school more than a week each year for it! I'm sorry, but you're actually just wasting your entire life right now, Moon._

"What about you, Ash?" Moon asked desperately.

"Huh? Oh, I had three last year, and two APs this one," Ash replied. Moon looked like she was going to cry. "But! But, last year, I had AP U.S. History, and I already took regular history as a sophomore, so it kinda doesn't count!" He tried to comfort her the best he could.

"Et tu, Ash?" Moon asked.

"That, that doesn't apply here, Moon," Riley said, knowing very well that he just burst her bubble. "He took more than you, and he was the only person you asked."

Moon deflated, falling back down onto her bed, placing a pillow on top of her face, probably to hide her blush. "What about you, Riley?" she asked, muffled by the pillow. Riley didn't want to bring her down more than she already was.

"You barely come to class, so what did they stick you with?" she mumbled bitterly. She didn't actually intend for him to hear that, and once she realized that she said it pretty loudly, she tossed the pillow up in the air and shouted "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I'm just being really salty and butthurt right now!" The pillow fell straight back onto her face, resulting in a grunt in surprise.

"Salty?" Riley had absolutely no idea what Moon meant by that. He could only guess as to what "butthurt" meant.

"What does that mean?" Dawn asked for the second time that day.

"Hah?" Moon sounded like she just rolled out of bed when she made that weird sound. "Oh, uh, it means that I'm… angry, I guess."

"Right," he replied.

"Well?" Moon pressed on, wanting an answer to her previous question.

"Uh, s-seven in total," he murmured, not looking her in the eye.

"Et tu, Riley?" Moon asked, in the proper context this time. "Better?"

"Yes, and yes," he replied. "I didn't exactly ask for them, if it makes you feel better."

"Do you have a first period?" she asked. She seemed determined to be superior to someone in the room academically right then and there. She seemed to have forgotten that Ash would have been the easier target for such purposes.

"Math team," he replied, still not looking at her. "I didn't ask for it, though!"

"Fuck!" she shouted.

Dawn almost toppled over from the shock, holding on tighter to Riley as an anchor. "Way to go, Moon! You really meant that, huh?" Dawn cheered.

"You? I don't have one," Ash said.

"I don't either," she admitted. "I wanted a College Now course, but my counselor didn't throw me into one. Not this year or last."

Moon was exuding an aura that was both menacing and depressing at the same time. It was hard to tell whether or not she was more angry or disappointed.

"Seriously, of all things to talk about, you're gonna waste time talking about school?! What happened to Gunter?!" Dawn shouted. Riley flinched at her pitch, but tried to hold a serious face.

 _She's not wrong. I mean, I haven't even gone to school this semester, so why are we talking about it? Oh, wait… Moon_ , he thought.

"It think we've gone on this tangent long enough, guys," Riley said, holding his hands with palms parallel to the floor, pushing them down.

"Oh, right. What were we talking about before this?" Ash asked. Then, his stomach grumbled. "I'm _hungry_!"

"Shut up, Tidus," Moon said under her breath.

"And what does that mean?" Riley asked. Ash then picked up the abandoned bag of potato chips from earlier and started holding it above his head, shaking it so some salty slivers of snacks fell into his mouth.

"Hey, share a few, Ash!" Dawn exclaimed, giving him a playful shove.

"Oh, nothing, it's just a… it's something from a video game," she replied with shifty eyes. "Ha ha, yeah, just, uh, go ahead and do that, Ash. So, back to what?"

"Dawn's wish," Riley reminded them. _It's already almost 5:30. Where has the time gone? We've been talking about nothing for the past few minutes. But… it doesn't feel bad or anything. At least, not after we got through that weird phase of re-adjusting to each other_ , he thought.

"Which was…?" Moon asked.

"To pwn a noob with a Piplup named Gunter," Ash said.

"Oh, okay!" Moon exclaimed as if nothing weird was just said, offering a one handed salute.

"You understand that?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Moon asked. She opened her drawer and pulled out her 2DS XL, a black DSI, and three game cases. The two boys just stared at her.

"You're just gonna believe that as it is?" Riley asked.

"Yup," she said with a smile. "It can't hurt to try, or roll with the punches, huh?"

 _She's still the most hardcore gamer of us_ , Riley thought. _She also seems to have changed the least… I guess._

Looking at the walls of Moon's room, Riley noticed many familiar items lining several shelves. One whole shelf was filled with manga, most noticeably _Pokemon_ ones. The one adjacent to it was full of _Pokemon_ game guides. Another was full of _Pokemon_ figures and plushies. Another shelf hosted a PlayStation 3 and games to match. On a desk against the wall was a computer with who knows how many games were on it. And who knows how many games she had in her drawer. The walls all had posters taken from _Pokemon_ guide books taped up securely, ranging from one from an old Gameboy _Pokemon Mystery Dungeon_ game to a new one that had over 800 Pokemon on it. _800? There's a lot that I've missed over these past few years_ , Riley thought. If you didn't know Moon, you would have thought that she was trying too hard to show that she liked _Pokemon_ , and was going overboard with her merch. She wasn't, though; she genuinely adored the franchise.

Riley saw Dawn move to stand in the middle of the room, spinning in place and soaking the whole room in. "Mm, this is amazing!" she sang.

Moon opened two cases of 3DS games and swapped them out of her newer console. She put in another game it the 2DS, which happened to be _Pokemon Moon_.

" _Moon_ , huh? I see you," Ash said, pointing at the game cover, then at Moon.

"What? Oh, haha, yeah, I know," she said, waving it off. "I'm not trying to be like _that_ , but I actually like Lunala better. Also, Luna wanted _Sun_ , so…"

"That's cool that the two of you still play," Ash said.

"Yeah, I know," she said with a crestfallen smile. In her DSI, she proceeded to insert a cartridge for _Pokemon Platinum_.

"Oh, so _you_ had it!" Dawn exclaimed, making Riley wonder about what she meant.

 _Oh, wait, the copy of_ Platinum _was communal. Everyone had one of_ Diamond _or_ Pearl _, though_ , he thought. _Dawn loved it the most, though. She said it was her favorite game of all of them, so much that she even dyed her hair blue to match the player character._

"Uh, can someone take one?" Moon said, holding a DS in each hand.

"Whaddya mean?" Ash asked.

"Well, we can't do that… Piplup battle right now. _Platinum_ has a file with an Infernape and I started a new game in _Moon_ the other day. I'm at the League, but my team is far from perfect. We'll need the Piplup trained up and a buff team in _Moon_ to beat some random guy across the country, so, yeah." Moon shook both systems in her hands. "Wow, I hate saying and hearing my name," she said, cringing.

"Across the country?" both boys asked.

Moon smiled. "Yeah, there's there's a wireless battle function now, not just local. We're gonna pwn him hard!"

"Cool," Ash said for the umpteenth time that day.

" _That's_ what "pwn" means?" Riley asked to no one in particular. "Beat?"

"Pretty much," Moon said.

"Why don't you take it, Riley?" Ash asked. He handed the two games that Riley had purchased earlier that day back to him, which had been shoved into his oversized hoodie pockets for the duration of their back-and-forth conversation just then. "You bought a copy of _Moon_ , too, today."

Riley waved his hands in front of his chest and shook his head with the movement. "Wait, uh, w-wouldn't that be a spoiler or whatever? And, I don't even remember how to make a good team and breed for natures and all that junk."

Moon blinked and gave all soft smile. "Then take _Platinum_. Dawn's here, right? It was her favorite one, so play it with her," she said, holding the DSI towards him.

Riley wasn't sure whether or not he should have taken it, but before he could react on his own, Dawn had walked over to him and lifted his arm, moving it up and down, prompting Moon to hand it over. He grabbed it without thinking and stood there idly.

Moon lied down on her bed and turned her 2DS back on, pressing a button over and over again while humming. Riley realized that he was locked into his situation, and let himself relax and let go of some anxieties. _With Moon and Ash, it's almost impossible to be tense. I guess this wasn't a bad idea. Some things did stay the same, and it feels right_ , he thought.

"See? Things are good," Dawn whispered to him, pulling him down to sit on the floor. They sat on the cold tile, leaning against Moon's bed.

After a click, the television turned on and an ad started blaring. "Sorry!"

"It's fine," Ash said, though he looked like he was clinging the the swivel chair he was on with dear life. "What's on?" Ash said after getting up and running a finger across the spines of Moon's many manga. "Hey, d'ya mind if I read one of these? It's been a while since I have." He was holding a book with a boy running with a Pikachu on it, with the words "Pokemon Adventures" on it.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, go crazy. Just put them back in the right place when you're done. And _don't_ eat chips with the same hand you're turning the page with!" Moon exclaimed.

"Okay," Ash replied, sitting back on the swivel chair and spinning it in and circle. He cracked it open and started reading, which was a somewhat surprising thing for him to do given how fleeting his attention span could be.

Riley took a minute to look up and around the room he was in, taking the situation he was in in. _How did I end up here?_ he thought. He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a small pressure on his left shoulder. Looking over, he saw Dawn leaning on it and staring intently at the flickering television. He smiled and looked back at the DSI in his hands.

"Start a new file, right?" Riley asked.

"Yeah. I chose Chimchar in this one, and Turtwig in _Diamond_." Moon didn't look up from her game. For a few seconds, everyone just relaxed and listened to nothing but the subtle sound of Ash munching on potato chips. "I'm not that partial to anyone in that file, anyway. I half-assed it and didn't even go to the Fight Area, I'm sorry to say."

Riley lingered on the title screen before recalling a certain button command. He simultaneously pressed the buttons up, select, and B while looking at Giratina. "Would you like to delete all saved data?" was the prompt that followed. Riley hesitated on moving the cursor and selecting an answer.

 _Delete all saved data? Wipe out all memories of a past experience full of victories, losses, happiness, adventure, friendship, and change? Would I dare?_ he mused. Riley had a habit of overthinking things in over-eloquent and brooding words. _Well, this is a game. It's so easy to say yes or no to purging such memories, bad or good. I wish I could kind of do that now. But, like it is right now isn't that nightmarish._

He hovered the "yes" option. Pressing A, he looked at Dawn, who was still preoccupied with the cartoon playing on the TV. Ash was reading the manga with earbuds on, a drum beat bleeding through the small speakers. Moon was twitching a foot while playing her game with a smile.

"Deleting all saved data. Please do not turn off the power." _Did I pull the plug too early?_

* * *

Author's note: I know that there was a larger focus on Moon in this chapter than Ash, but I at least defined her character a bit more. It's kind of my head-canon for some reason: Moon is the default protagonist of _Sun_ and _Moon_ while Luna is the default protagonist of _Ultra Sun_ and _Ultra Moon_ , and they're sisters a year apart, where Moon is older _._ I just felt that Moon would be the type of person to get embarrassed easily, especially since in almost every cutscene, she had the same big smile on her face. But, maybe that's reading between the lines too much, huh?

About the slang that I used (i.e. "low-key" and "salty"), I admit that I have no real idea what they mean. I learned them from osmosis by being a high school student that was constantly surrounded by people who used weird slang that I never heard before.

From the last chapter, if you guessed that Yun came from the name of the penguin from _Toriko_ , then congrats! That's it! I'm in the middle of watching the anime, and let me tell you, it's really hype. I've heard that the manga is drastically different than the anime in that the anime is more tame and less violent, as well as the ending being a little different, but for what it's worth, I highly recommend this anime if you like cute, funny moments and things like _JJBA_ , and most importantly, food.

For this chapter, if you can guess why Dawn wanted the Piplup named "Gunter," then I'll also have respect for you. It's a lot less obscure than Yun was, but still.

* * *

Thank you so much, MythGirl the Pokemon Master for favoriting and following this story!

As for the reviews:

King Lux: No problem! I appreciate you favoriting this. Don't think that you're obligated to respond to me just because I respond to you, though. I appreciate you anyway!

Ash Keychum: Okay, thanks(?). Well, I choose _you_ as my favorite review of the last chapter. It kind of caught me off guard, but it also kind of made me chuckle; if you meant well with it, thanks.

MythGirl the Pokemon Master: Thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you liked this chapter, too!


	4. We win (I Guess)

Riley didn't know what he was expecting when he started up a new file, but he just felt so foreign. He couldn't recall too much of the beginning of _Platinum_ , but he was lucky enough to have Dawn guiding him over his shoulder for the past two hours. Or, perhaps he was unlucky. She was being rather overbearing with her "tips" due to her unbridled enthusiasm after not playing the game for years. They probably ended up moving at about half the regular speed a normal person would have played at trying to appease each other.

 _I might as well pass it over to her_ , he thought. He actually wanted to implement this plan, but he felt some sort of obligation to playing it himself. _Or, maybe I should just keep playing. It's pretty entertaining, and so is Dawn_. She constantly had her hands on him, practically being his puppet master.

"You really couldn't remember that normal isn't very effective against rock?" Dawn asked as she tapped commands on the touch screen in place of Riley. "Think about it: if you bitch-slapped a rock, what would be hurting more?"

 _That's not a completely bad way of seeing type advantages, but, you really need to calm down on the swearing, Dawn. You're trying too hard_ , he thought. _Serena was a bad influence on you_. He shook his head shortly after of such thoughts on the past.

"Oh. Well, you're screwed," Dawn said. Looking down after the screen, Riley saw that the only Pokemon left in his roster was a Bidoof that was freshly caught, primarily for the use of HMs at the insistence of Dawn. "Why didn't you go heal?"

"Forget you could," he said, disguising it as a sigh. But, since he was in such close proximity to Moon, she caught on.

"Forgot what, now?" she said mindlessly, eyes kept on her own game but not pressing any buttons.

"Nothing, just that you could exit before challenging the leader," he answered reluctantly.

"Yeah, you can. Why?" Moon jumped off her bed and into a pair of sandals nearby, leaving her 2DS behind. The strap wouldn't cooperate, refusing to slide over her foot, prompting her to stomp and whine like a child. She looked up at Riley and offered a cheap laugh and smile.

Riley looked back down and saw "Kouki blacked out!" in the text box. He always refused to use his own name and gave the player character the default name in each game. _It's just uncomfortable seeing my own name over and over again, like Moon said earlier_ , he thought.

He tipped his head back and sighed. "And at the first gym leader, no less."

"What? You lost?" Moon asked from across the room. "Loser," she teased, pulling down on her cheek.

"Where're you goin'?" Ash asked, pulling an earbud out and twirling it around an index finger.

"Out. Just gonna grab something from Luna," Moon answered, then dashed out of the room, leaving Riley and Ash together. Riley wouldn't count Dawn as part of the equation since only he could see her.

"So, how's it goin'?" Ash asked, standing up to put a book on the shelf.

"Better than before," Riley said, resuming play. "How about-"

The sound of vibrating cut Riley off. The jock of the two boy smoothly pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket. Glancing at the number and identity of the caller, Ash stuck his earbud back in its place and sat back down on the chair. He stuck an index finger up and offered a sheepish smile as he slid his finger across the screen. "Yo," Ash said, holding up a plastic piece on a wire of his earbuds to his mouth.

"Who's Stephan?" Dawn asked. Riley didn't notice that she had stood up and started hovering over Ash's shoulder. Realizing that phone calls should be private matters, the spirit waltzed back to Riley and plopped down back next to him, all the while whistling a fragmented tune. Or, trying to. It was more like she was blowing air out of pursed lips and was hoping so hard that it would work. Going out, it didn't work except for the occasional accidental success, but when she inhaled, it happened about fifty percent of the time. "Don't look at me like that."

The pessimist rolled his eyes. _How can I_ not _look at you?_ he thought.

"Yeah, yo, no, something came up," Ash said in his normal volume. He didn't seem to mind that Riley was in the room with him and could clearly hear his conversation. The other side of the line was just as loud, and Riley couldn't decide whether or not he should leave the room or try his best to ignore it.

"Whaddya mean 'something came up'?! Coach went mad. There's a game next week, man!" said the voice on the other line. "High Horizon kicked our asses last year. We _gotta_ win this time!"

"Do people _really_ care about football that much?" Riley muttered. He suddenly lost all of his will to keep playing the game in front of him. Dawn put her hands over his and played, the two acting as one, somewhat.

"Football? Isn't that just a bunch of sweaty dudes piling on top of each other over _balls_?" Dawn asked, looking up at Riley. He was caught off guard slightly and clicked his tongue at Dawn's everlasting immaturity.

"Not completely wrong," he replied.

"Nah, dude, I'm tellin' you, I got it. You can count on me!" Ash said. Riley and Dawn looked up at him since he was borderline shouting, getting riled up over his conversation. "Have I ever let you down?"

"Oh, I get it. You're with Misty now, huh? Gary'll _love_ this," said the other voice.

"What?! No, I'm not with her right now! I'm with some friends, so I'll text you later, man," Ash said, getting red in the face.

"Dude, you're bailing on us right now! Who could you possibly be hangi-" the voice said, but was cut off by Ash hanging up. He lowered his phone and shook his head.

 _Wait, he purposely chose to hang out with me over his usual friends and sports team?_ Riley thought. He felt a sinking feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. _Me? No, it must be Moon and the prospect of "talking" to Dawn._

"Hoo-boy. So, make any progress, Riley?" Ash turned around with a thumbs-up. He sat on Moon's bed to the right of Riley, clasping a hand on his shoulder.

"Uh, not much," Riley said, trying to hide his disconcertion regarding Ash. Back on the screen, Riley saw the first gym leader giving his defeat speech. Dawn's face was glowing. _I want to play, but I don't want to play. What do I do?_

"Ya mind if I talked to Dawn?" Ash said out of nowhere. Riley froze and felt immediately uncomfortable.

"Sure!" Dawn sang beside Riley, leaning over him to place a hand on Ash's knee.

"Uh, well, what do you mean?" Riley asked with apprehension. _What am I supposed to say?_ he thought.

"Can I?" Ash asked, ignoring Riley's question. His voice lacked its usual brightness and life.

Riley caved in immediately. _I don't want to play telephone, but I can't exactly turn away and run right now. If they both want to do it, then I guess it can't be that bad. But, do I_ really _have to be in the middle of this?_ he thought. "She says 'sure'."

"Awesome. How's it been, Dawn? Missed you," Ash said.

"It's been really good! I've spent the past few weeks with Riley, and he's still fun and cool! And now, I'm hanging out with him, you, and Moon!" Dawn said, leaning on Riley's shoulder.

 _You're really making this hard for me, Dawn. Do I really have to say that?_ Riley thought, shutting his eyes tightly for a second. Before he echoed Dawn's words, he contemplated saying it in the highest falsetto voice he could manage to detach himself from the conversation and try to lighten the mood. But, he knew that his throat would ache after not even a minute of using it, and he might just end up embarrassing himself for absolutely no benefit. He said it normally, but refused to meet Ash's gaze.

Ash curled his fingers into tightly clenched fists, which were shaking from tension. Then, without warning, he jumped up with both fists in the air. "Yeah! That's the spirit! We're gonna grant you your wish, and we'll have fun doin' it!" he shouted, taking small, insignificant breaks between words. He punched the space in front of him and looked back at Riley. "But, Dawn, you remember… what we talked about back then?"

She looked lost at this. "Uh… D'ya mean about how Calem should start taking that stick out of his ass before it gets stuck there permanently?" she asked.

Riley groaned and held his face in his hands. _There is no way in Hell I'm saying that._ Ash looked at him, expecting an answer. Riley just kept shaking his head no. She shook him and said, "Hey, what's wrong? Say it."

"Dawn?" Ash piped up.

"I am not saying that. _Anything_ but that, please, Dawn," Riley said.

Ash gripped Riley's shoulder tighter and looked straight into Riley's eyes, almost piercing his soul. "What'd she say?"

Riley couldn't believe the situation he was in. _Seriously? I either have to say that, or wait in this weird position until Moon comes back? Jesus Christ_ , he thought. He gave in and repeated what Dawn said, constantly being interrupted by child-like giggles threatening to escape his mouth after each word.

"No, not that! But, that's still true, though." Ash kicked the wall beneath the bookshelf, which was hovering above a stool with a backpack and a pair of worn ballet shoes on it. An odd creaking and the shoes falling down made him back away from the wall slowly. "I meant, right before… then, y'know? I gave you that, uh, that thing, and you just ran."

 _I don't think I should even be a part of this conversation_ , Riley thought. He noticed that Dawn had gotten up and was no longer guiding his hands to play the game. He decided to start playing on his own to try to zone out Ash's words. "Oh, yeah… Well, I do, and you know that you're an amazing friend, Ash," she said, and Riley reluctantly relayed.

A guttural growling made Riley slowly look up. Ash was radiating hostility, his whole body visibly tensed. That his hat was covering his eyes made him seem even more frightening.

"Ash?" Dawn and Riley simultaneously asked.

"Jus-just goddamnit!" Ash shouted loudly as he stomped the ground with all his might. "Why the hell can only you see her, Riley?! It's not fair! What did you do?! I'm her friend, too. You don't even talk to her!"

"Ash, what are you talking about? You don't know that. You don't know what it's been like for me."

"You're not the only one who has it hard, Riley." Ash let himself fall down onto the floor on his back, propping his head up with both arms crossed behind it. He stared at Moon's popcorn ceiling, breathing audibly, not commenting on the mystery gum that was who knows how old stuck above her bed. Riley didn't risk saying anything else.

"Moon, what are you doing up there?!" Moon's mother called from downstairs with a threatening tone. Across the hall, you could hear Moon yelp in shock. With the loud _thud_ that followed, it would be a safe bet to say that she stubbed her toe on something.

"N-nothing!" she shakily shouted from her location.

Ash sat up, legs crossed when he heard this. He seemed to have calmed down a little, face more neutral than not. "Dawn? Who would you rather have able to see you?"

The girl, who took a position opposite Ash, reflecting him on an imaginary axis, didn't take even a second to respond. She smiled and said, "I want _everyone_ to see me again. I want us all to get together and hang out like we always did!"

Riley couldn't help but grin at Dawn's innocence, optimism, and good intentions. But, at the same time, he knew that she was avoiding answering Ash's question correctly on purpose. _She was always indecisive and procrastinative, he thought._

He repeated these words far more willingly than he had previous ones. He watched as Ash's subtle frown morph into a straight line, then a small concave-up curve.

"Dawn… Yeah, that'd be cool, huh?" Ash said, standing up. He scratched the back of his head and said, "Man, sorry for acting like that, Riley. I just, I dunno, I just got worked up over nothin'. Sorry."

"No problem." Riley couldn't help but let his cone of vision drop, hanging his head. On the DSI screen, he saw his Bidoof use Rock Smash, then his character exit a cave.

 _Shit, Calem_ was _right about this. Ash_ is _more mature that I am right now._ Riley was panicking inside; his head was swarming with thoughts, and his heartbeat became faster with each passing second. He used a hand to hold the side on his head, suddenly becoming very warm and flustered.

"So… what're ya up to?" Ash asked, sitting next to Riley again. Riley kept playing, avoiding conversation as his mind raced. The three fell into comfortable-enough silence with each other, the room filled only with the sounds of an advertisement in the background from Moon's television and the battle music of _Pokemon Platinum_.

Meanwhile, Moon was in her sister's room, sitting on Luna's bed and cradling her foot. She had indeed stubbed her toe when she flinched at her mother's call upstairs. "Mmm, mm-hmm, yeah, yup, this hurts like shit!" she said through gritted teeth, punching the bed over and over again with all her might to try to take her mind off of the pain.

She kicked off her sandals, which flopped and bounced on the tile floor a few feet away, and lied down. She rolled over to lay down on her stomach, groaning and breathing with her face pressed into Luna's covers. Inhaling, she could smell the perfume her sister usually wore, which had a faint, pleasant, fruity aroma; in contrast, Moon never wore perfume. Taking another breath, she found another scent on the blanket. _I'm not being creepy!_ she thought, doing a trunk lift, upper body trembling trying to support herself in mid-air. "Why am I trying to justify things to myself?" she groaned. She let herself fall back down onto the bed, a pillow going into the air momentarily, pulse spiking from the little exercise she just did.

Back to the other scent on Luna's blanket, Moon placed it in a second. "It's… Lillie's!" she exclaimed, taking a quick glance at the door to make sure it was closed, which it was. The scent was of flowers and a little something else that made Moon want to start wearing perfume. She started kicking her legs on the bed, shouting into it. "Why?! Oh, Luna, why the hell do you get to hang out with everyone?! They come over here and to your room to see _you_... I wanna hang out with Lillie like you always do! Gladion and Hau, too!"

She took one last inhale into the blanket and found a new scent that made her stop being bitter. "Heh, oh, Hau, goddamnit! It smells like fried dough and sugar!"

She rolled over onto her right side, still giggling and stared at Luna's bedside table. A framed photo caught her attention. In it, the focus was Luna, a dark-skinned boy with long, dark hair, and a pair of blond siblings with green eyes standing in front of a lemonade stand; Luna and one of the siblings, the girl, were holding peace signs. Above them was a banner with the first couple of words cut off, the only visible ones being "Community Service Club".

At the very edge of the bottom-right corner of the picture was a head, eyes wide and glassy, skin flushed, mouth open in a rather unsightly shape, black hair matted to her forehead. A half-opened peace sign was next to her head. Moon cringed at this.

"Why did she keep this picture, of all the ones she took that day? I was tired after my performance when she dragged me over." She pouted and put the photo face-down. She picked it back up soon after and sighed, getting off the bed. "She probably wouldn't have even included me in the picture if I wasn't going to their stall at the stupid culture festival. Probably forgot about me once it started."

Moon opened a drawer and pulled out a regular 3DS. She checked the cartridge to make sure it was the right one, then left, closing the door behind her. She walked back into her room and took her spot back on her bed, taking note of the silence. "Uh, make any progress?" she asked after a minute of settling in.

"Wait, exactly what point am I supposed to play to?" Riley asked, taking a few seconds in between words to say the next. The words were not falling out of him. It didn't help that on either side of him, someone was looking over his shoulder. Ash stopped talking after sitting down next to him, and just kept staring.

"Uh… Just catch six Pokemon, then transfer them to _White 2_ , then I'll transfer them to this," she said, shaking her 2DS at the end of the sentence.

"Done."

"Then hold on a minute."

"What're you doin'?" Ash asked.

"Huh? Oh, uh, just trading some Pokemon back to me." Moon turned her sister's 3DS on and held it in one hand.

"Back?" Dawn asked, jumping up and taking a seat next to Moon. Riley echoed her without thinking.

"Yeah, Luna needed help at the League and Battle Tree, so I traded her some of my team. But, I actually… ended up… beating it for her," she said, tapering off at the end. "Anyway, here we go!"

"You good?" Ash asked her.

"Here we go!" Moon repeated, this time even less convincing, but for comedic effect. The four shared shared a small laugh for a minute.

"Uh-oh," Dawn said, pointing at the DSI in Riley's hands, the power light glowing red rather than blue. "Red power, red power!" she chanted several times over, something she, Moon, and Serena came up with when doing Entralink quests in _Black 2_ and _White 2_ , realizing the rather unintentionally hilarious yet touchy names of the powers they received as rewards.

Riley shook his head when Dawn nudged his side with her foot, knowing very well the sentiment Moon probably held to such a memory. _I'm not going there. It was something for you three, only, anyway_ , he thought. Instead, he said, "Hey, Moon? Do you have a charger or something?"

"Huh?" she asked, looking at the DSI in his hands. "Oh! Red power, red power!" she chanted.

Riley deflated at this. _Or, I could be wrong and it's something she still does today. That's probably it, and good for her. Really_ , he thought.

Moon quickly snapped up and opened her drawer of games. She rifled through it, trying to search for a light gray charger frantically. "I-I-I can't find it." She gave up rather easily.

"Okay, then," Riley said. He had just saved his game, then clamped the system shut.

"Hey, there's another one here," Ash said, lifting a red DSI with a sticker of a Pikachu and the words "10th Anniversary Pokemon" on it. Dawn noticed and recognized it immediately, a smile growing on her face, which was soon replaced by slight confusion.

Moon immediately yanked it out of his hands, hugging it to her chest once she had it. Ash stood there, dumbfounded. Riley raised an eyebrow at this. Moon started sweating and laughing uncomfortably, slowly turning around to face the two boys.

"That's Serena's!" Dawn exclaimed, pointing at it and shaking Riley's shoulder. "Just like I remember!"

"It's Serena's?" he asked. Moon faced him directly, her odd smile twitching. "Why do you have that?"

"Huh. I haven't seen her in forever," Ash said, hands on his hips.

Moon clenched her jaw before sighing and holding it out. "Yeah, it's Serena's. She left it here charging overnight the last time… the last time w-we"- she sighed and started biting on her thumb-"we were all here hanging out."

It was dead silent after that; it was like time froze. Ash lowered his head, Moon had a hand over her mouth trying to stifle her hyperventilation with the other still holding the DSI up, and Riley didn't know what to do. Dawn just stood up, holding a wrist with the other hand and offering a small smile. "It's okay," she said.

 _No, it's not. This isn't what I was promised. Things were fine just just a minute ago_ , Riley thought. Looking around, no one wanted to say anything. It was so uneasy that not even Dawn could figure out a way to diffuse the situation. And this wasn't even the worst scenario that Riley imagined that they could have found themselves in. _She didn't even mention Dawn. That makes this all the much more painful. And, of all people, it_ has _to be Serena?_

Serena, and even Calem were nowhere to be seen. No longer associating with any of the remaining members of Shadow of Losers, there were absolutely no ties bonding them to the others. Going to a different school didn't help. And to top it off, one of them completely abandoned their former self while the other became an unsociable jerk; or, perhaps Riley was exaggerating things. His encounter with them the other day didn't do anything to help his image of them.

"I don't want it to be like this. Why are you guys acting like this?" Dawn asked, brows furrowed, shaking Riley. _Wait, can we invite Serena over?_ she thought, not completely understanding the situation they were in.

Riley tried his best to let Dawn's words go in one ear and out the other, but couldn't. He then felt a new sensation; Dawn placed her cold hands on his warm, clammy ones. Without realizing it, he allowed her to guide his hands up, touching either side of the system. Once he made contact with the plastic, he snapped out of his thoughts. His breath hitched whereas Moon looked straight at him.

"No!" she snapped, yanking the system back towards her and close to her chest once more.

"Hey, now!" Ash exclaimed, startled by her outburst.

"You're an all star," she instinctively followed Ash's words with under her breath. "N-no, just don't _touch_ it."

"Why not?" Ash asked.

"I-I've been holding onto it for the past f-five years. Serena and you guys never came back here again, and we never went back to Calem's treehouse." Moon bit her thumb nail again, jagged from all the gnawing she exposed it to. "I haven't talked to Serena in so long… I've been waiting for a chance to give it back to her myself. Especially since it seems that I'm still the least "mature" of all of us and still play games.

"I've been taking care of her DSI for the whole time I've had it. It's fully charged. I turn it on every week to check that it still works. Inside's her copy of _Black 2_ that I've never taken out, and never intend to. Every time I go out, I wrap it in a handkerchief, and put it in the side bag that I always keep on me to keep it clean and safe. If I ever see her outside or on the bus, I'm going to march up to her, give it back to her, and talk to her like a normal person. I swear. It means that much to me," Moon said, finishing her thought.

After a minute to soak it in, Ash said, "Wow, Moon, you're extra."

Then, Moon, Riley, and Dawn all asked simultaneously, "What the hell does that mean?!" All of them asked out of genuine confusion, but Moon had an overtone of agitation in her voice.

Ask scratched his head and said, "Uh, it means, like, you're, y'know, extra. Like, you do extra, unnecessary stuff."

"Thank you for that. I _really_ needed that right now," Moon said through bared teeth. It was kind of hard to take her seriously when she had a metal mouth. Dawn came up behind her and gave her a hug. Moon seemed to relax a tad bit with this.

"You're welcome!" Ash replied, not hearing or understanding her sarcasm. Moon immediately snorted without thinking. Riley followed, and Dawn giggled. "What?"

"Uh, again, Ash, you're kinda behind the beat," Riley said, tugging at the collar of his shirt, hiding his mouth with a hand. This just broke Moon. Despite having just been mopey and defensive, she busted out laughing again. If Dawn had a nickel every time Moon laughed authentically in delicate situations or did a total one-eighty flip in attitude, she would have more than a decent amount of money for a kid. She would spend all of it in a heartbeat to _keep_ hearing Moon laugh, though.

Ash laughed in good spirit, Dawn had already started giggling alongside Moon, and Riley soon just let it all out. Once again, the situation was diffused and the atmosphere became light. _I really hope it stays like this. Just a little longer_ , Riley thought.

"Just _don't_ touch it," she said in all seriousness. Moon gently placed Serena's DSI back into her game drawer. She traded it in for two original DSs, one that looked kind of janky and one that looked fine on the outside, but had a broken A button inside. She swiped her own DSI from Riley and took the cartridge, placing it into a DS and putting away the newer system. She crawled onto her bed again and got comfortable, turning on both DSs.

One loaded up _Platinum_ , the other _White 2_. Moon took full control of the situation. She went to the Poke Transfer Lab and played the unnecessary and unwieldy mini-game, Ash, Riley, and Dawn left watching her. _Come on, don't embarrass yourself in front of them!_ she thought.

"Hey! I remember playing this! Good times," Ash said as Moon flung a Pokeball at the last, and most important Pokemon, Gunter the Piplup. Had he said it any earlier, Moon probably would have needed to play it again.

Moon went on to start the second transferring process, which used a new concept of Pokemon Bank. Simple and relatively painless, the next and last thing they had to do before pwning some random noob with a jacked Piplup was a wave of trades between Moon and her sister's game.

In the middle of trading over a beastly looking Pokemon called Golisopod that Dawn gushed over, Moon perked up. "Uh, Riley?"

"Yeah?" he slowly replied.

"You _just_ bought a copy of _Moon_?"

"Yeah?"

"Y'know, _Ultra Sun_ and _Ultra Moon_ are coming out in, like, two months," she said, mashing the A button on both game systems.

He groaned. _That's forty dollars out the window if those are what I think they are_ , he thought. But, seeing Dawn exude glee from the newest Pokemon made him retract his thought. He started shaking his head up and down. "Yeah, I, uh, I know," he lied.

"You raised and bred all of these?" Riley asked, looking at the team that Moon had assembled.

"Yup!" she said proudly. "Most of them, at least. Took a while, but I feel good about them."

"What's that one?" Dawn asked, pointing at a red and black muscular mosquito.

"Uh, Dawn wants to know what Pokemon that is," Riley said, pointing at the bug.

Moon, who had previously been rocking back and forth, stopped shaking. Her face went through a variety of contortions, and she finally settled on grinning and saying, "Buzzwole. It's my favorite Ultra Beast."

"It's amazing!" Dawn sang, eyes scanning every vein and line on Buzzwole. Riley repeated this for Moon. Moon smiled to herself, then looked up and around. Dawn smiled back and hugged Moon. The latter girl felt a weight on her, that didn't feel bad this time around, and leaned forwards, still grinning.

"Yeah, I know it is… Dawn. It's my favorite, too."

"Wait, Gunter's not even level fifty!" Ash pointed out.

"I'm pretty sure he'll automatically get jacked up to fifty in the battle," Moon said, straightening her posture.

Moon spent a good five minutes contemplating who should hold what item, and who should go first. The only thing that she "knew" had to happen was that Gunter had to go last, or at least not first, and hold a quick claw, as well as learn a bunch of moves through way of TM. Once she felt that everything was good to go, she went wireless, hooking up to the internet to find an opponent, not even waiting for a comment from either of the two boys.

After a minute of loading, Riley piped up. Something had been bothering him when Moon was arranging her team. "Uh, w-wouldn't a focus sash have been better on him?" He wasn't doubting her, and he wasn't completely confident whether or not what he said was correct after not playing for years, but no other Pokemon on her team was holding one.

"Oh. Shit," she said, ending on a hard "t". "Back, back, back!"

Looking back at the screen, her heart just sunk. Ash said the obvious, "Too late."

"Regret! Regret! Regret!" she chanted, hitting every button on her system except the power and home ones. She had been matched with an opponent. Then, on the screen, Moon's challenger sent out a Nihilego. She sent out Golisopod. "Aw, _hell_ no," she spat. Riley and Ash looked at her, not knowing what was going on.

"What's wrong? That's a pretty cool looking Pokemon," Ash said, a hand on each person's shoulder. All of them were kneeling in a circle on Moon's bed, heads dangerously close to hitting each other if one were to flinch or twitch.

"This guy _better_ not be loaded up with Ultra Beasts and legendaries and mythical ones!" she shouted.

"A cheap asshole?" Dawn asked.

"Not repeating that," Riley said under his breath.

"Woah, it tells you what's super-effective?" Ash asked. He watched as Moon tapped a water-type move that her Pokemon knew with excessive force.

"Yeah, it's, uh, a new addition in Generation Seven. I felt like it was unnecessary, but I can't exactly _change_ it!" She ended up shouting the last part as Nihilego used power gem before Golisopod moved, landing a critical hit on its first turn. Golisopod was able to withstand it by some miracle, but just barely, Emergency Exit activating immediately. "Fuck my luck!"

"Calm down, Moon," Ash said.

"Riley, give me your hat," Moon demanded.

"Suuure," Riley said, passing his fedora off to her, though unsure as to what her reason for wanting it was. "Why?"

"Let's go, MLG pro!" she exclaimed, putting the hat on and proceeding to make what were supposed to be airhorn noises. Dawn joined in as the two boys shrugged their shoulders and set their eyes on the 2DS. _I'm free right now. They're not judging me for being weird! Just like before…_ she thought.

The whole match went along like this. Back and forth, Moon would jump between cussing her opponent out to celebrating her little victories. That on its own was entertaining enough, but that Ash was backseat-battling made it even better.

"Use stone edge, man!" Ash exclaimed in the middle of the battle.

"I refuse! My bad luck plus eighty base accuracy plus this guy is being cheap and using rare Pokemon equals no!" she shouted back like a child. "There's no way that I can pull off the impossible like Serena did back then. Tch, _five_ Stone Edges and two Hammer Arms in a row by her Rhyperior without missing. Holy shit, is she lucky!"

"I would have gambled it," Riley said. On the screen, Moon's Lycanroc dealt _just_ enough damage to leave her opponent's Tapu Bulu with the magic pixel of health. She would bet her ass that it had _exactly_ one health left. Then, he used Horn Leech, which defeated Moon's Pokemon, just adding insult to injury since Lycanroc had next to full HP.

"Ahh!" Moon had grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. "Every single damn time!"

The two boys looked at each other and made motions in Moon's general direction while whisper-shouting to each other, cutting a deal as to who would try to console Moon. Neither wanted to, knowing very well that she was ready to explode. But, Riley had to stifle a laugh at Moon's suffering.

"You can't possibly only find bad people to battle with," Dawn said, waving a hand left and right in front of her face. She elbowed Riley in the ribs, prompting him to reluctantly repeat it.

"Yes! Yes, it is possible! Every time I get the balls to online battle someone, they _always_ have fully stacked teams!" she exclaimed.

"Then make your team like their's," Ash said. Moon looked ready to suplex him. He backed off immediately.

"I refuse to stoop down to that level," she hissed, taking ahold of her 2DS XL again and sending out another Pokemon. "And, I didn't have the patience to save-scum for perfect nature and personality legendaries."

"Use Dazzling Gleam!" Ash shouted, breaking the momentary silence.

"Ooh, _Ash_! I fucking did!" she shouted back, covering her mouth quickly soon after, eyes darting to the door. "Okay, all of us, stop shouting."

"Well, for you two, yes, but I don't think you should clump me into that category," Riley said, smiling to himself. Ash and Dawn gave him playful punches to the arms for this.

This went on for a while. When it got to the point that Moon started thinking about forfeiting, the tables turned in her favor. The opposing Guzzlord fainted immediately after Moon sent out her Golisopod again, which was after her fourth Pokemon fainted, using First Impression, a priority move. "Shh, shh, this is it," she said as her opponent sent out his last Pokemon, a Necrozma with medium red health that had been switched out in an earlier turn.

"Wait!" Ash shouted before Moon could make any move. He grabbed her hand, which was shaking in anticipation. "You're supposed to use Gunter!"

Moon gasped and realized the delicate situation she was in. "Swapping out will probably cause him to faint in one hit. Damn it, why the hell didn't I give him a focus sash?!"

"Figure something out," Riley said, both amused and worried. _Come on, Dawn's counting on this_ , he thought.

Moon didn't have to worry about switching out anymore. The foe's Necrozma was faster, and knocked Golisopod out in one hit with a plain Psychic since she opted for not using Sucker Punch. All that she had left was Gunter the Piplup. She would bet her ass that her opponent, wherever the hell he was, was laughing his own ass off at what he was facing. "Come on!"

"Is Piplup faster than that thing?" Ash asked.

"Probably not," Moon replied, hovering her shaking hand over Scald. "But, there's a slight chance that the quick claw will work. Twenty percent. One in five. Meaning, eighty percent of not working. Four in five! My horrible luck is going to ruin this for us!"

"Calm down, Moon," Riley said, patting her back awkwardly. Ash gave an unconvincing smile and thumbs-up.

"Wow, this is the end!" she said, overreacting. Dawn clicked her tongue at this and took Moon's shaky right hand into both of hers, guiding it over Blizzard. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's happening? No, _not_ Blizzard!"

Dawn wasn't listening, and lowered Moon's index finger to the white-blue icon despite her protests and resistance. "Come on, we got this, Moon! You and me!"

Riley repeated this to Moon, who looked at him with wide eyes. "No way! Are you kidding me?! This is _the_ closest that I have ever been to winning _any_ wireless battle in this damn game! Even against Luna, I lose!"

"Trust me," Dawn said and Riley echoed. Moon almost looked like she was going to cry.

"I don't wanna!" Moon cried. But, despite this, her arm went limp in Dawn's hands. Together, they selected Blizzard. There were two stages to get through to achieve victory in this battle, assuming that if the move hit, Necrozma would faint. First would be having the quick claw activate, and next was landing the move; achieving both those conditions would be a 1,400/10,000 crap-shot. Moon curled her toes and fists, eyes clamped shut and teeth bared. "Victini, RNGsus, help me! Dawn, you _so_ owe me if this doesn't work out!"

And someone heard Moon's cry. First, once the turn loaded in, the animation for the quick claw activating was played. She widened her eyes and opened her mouth, bringing the 2DS closer to her face. She gave the screen a thousand-yard stare while biting her lip, palms sweaty, 2DS slightly moist from this. And then, relief. The animation for Blizzard played, and Necrozma dropped to zero health. And to top it off, a critical hit, hot damn!

"Yeeeessss!" Moon roared like a war cry. "Oh, Gunter, I love you!"

Moon fell back onto her bed, kicking her feet into the air and squealing. Dawn fell down with her and cheered along, hugging her friend tightly. Riley and Ash celebrated as well, high-fiving and whooping.

"We won!" Ash shouted, standing up and fist-pumping over and over again. Riley stood up as well, a hand on the back of his neck, smiling; he was startled when Dawn jumped at him and wound him up in a hug. Moon was rolling around on her bed, hugging a small doll of a girl with purple hair with two d-pad clips in them, in a purple hoodie-dress with a stylized "N" on it and blue and white striped tights.

"Mm, yes, this is what I _wanted_ ," Moon said, laughing like an idiot. "We did it!"

"What do you think you are doing in here?!" Mrs. Lukin shouted, having just entered her daughter's room. Moon immediately shot up and shut up, hiding her little doll behind her.

"U-uh, h-hi, Mom," she slowly said, getting off her bed.

"Look at the time! It's already nine! Your tutor's waiting downstairs for you, and you're here fooling around, playing your silly games?" Mrs. Park asked, anger evident in her voice. "Why can't you be more like Luna?"

Moon bit her lips and froze, except for nodding her head. "I'll be down in a minute," she whispered quickly, absolutely defeated and dead inside, a total one-eighty from just a minute ago.

"You better be. Honestly, do you even realize how important the SATs are?! I guess you don't, seeing how bad you did last year," Mrs. Park said, then took her leave. This left Moon gnawing on her thumb as she slowly put her games away, trying to hold in snivels.

"I'll see you guys out," Moon said as she picked up two large soft-cover textbooks from beside a bag on the ground. She opened her door and waited for the two boys to follow. Riley grabbed his bag of Dawn's two games.

"Moon, you okay?" Ash asked, picking up his backpack. She silently nodded, looking at the floor with vacant eyes.

"Oh, Moon. Isn't that just some dumb test? Who needs studying?" Dawn said. Once this hit Riley's ears, he recoiled in shock, now aware of his surroundings.

"Dawn?!" He exclaimed without thinking, realizing something wrong about the situation. Moon, Ash, and Dawn turned to look at him with confused looks on their faces.

"Yeah?" she said, one hand on a hip.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Moon asked.

Riley felt awkward and reluctant to talk. Dawn just staring at him from his side didn't help. "Well, I mean… the only reason that I can see her is 'cause she needs a wish granted. She told me that to… _pass on_ , she had to get her wish."

"What?! Wait, so, you didn't tell us this, why?" Ash asked, clenching a fist.

"I don't think that this was my wish. But, it was super fun, just like old times. Just needed Serena and Calem," Dawn whispered with her eyes closed. Riley groaned and refused to look at Ash and Moon.

"That… what we did was apparently _not_ her wish. I can still see her," Riley said, his throat dry.

"Uh-huh, suuure," Ash said bitterly.

"Why are you guys acting like this anyway? She's still here, and still wants her wish granted!" Riley said.

"You didn't tell me that _other_ part! If this _was_ her wish, then what? She would just _disappear_? Without even letting me say goodbye?" Ash asked.

"She _is_ here, right?" Moon asked, unsure of what she should believe, almost dropping her books. _This may sound impossible, but I want to think that Dawn_ is _here right now. Give me something to look forward to_ , she thought.

"You don't believe me?" Riley asked, starting to sweat.

"No. Well… It's just that, you coulda said that earlier," Ash said bitterly. "You knew she was here for what, you said, days? I've known for a few hours, and if this _was_ her wish, she would just leave without saying anything! It wouldn't be fair, man."

"Yeah," Moon said, hugging her books tightly.

"I'm sorry," he said lamely. "I'm just thought that it didn't matter that much back there. It actually turned out... pretty fun."

"Well, she's still here, though, right?" Moon asked, partially to lighten the mood, and partially for confirmation for herself.

"Yeah…" Riley trailed off.

"Then, let's just work together to make her happy," Ash offered. The two nodded while Dawn was left shyly smiling behind Riley.

"Let's just go before my mom chases you guys out. Come on," Moon said, passing Riley's hat back to him, then walking out of the room with a small smile. The other three followed her to the staircase, where they lost Moon. She started skipping down the stairs, two steps at a time, whereas the two boys were going at a crawl.

At the bottom, she couldn't stop her momentum, and just kept running straight forwards, towards the front door. Which just so happened to have two boys taking their shoes off at the entrance, not noticing the girl hurtling towards them. _What is wrong with me?!_ she thought.

She ran straight into the back of a boy with blond hair, immediately jumping backwards and apologizing profusely once she made contact. "I'm sorry, so sorry, Gladion!"

The boy turned around and sighed. "Hello to you, too, Moon," he said plainly, ignoring their collision like it was an expected event.

"You alright?" asked the other boy.

"A-okay, Hau," Moon pathetically said. "Where's Luna?"

"Right here, Moon!" Luna exclaimed, hopping to the front door with several shopping bags in hand. She rifled through a bag and pulled out a game case, discreetly passing it to Moon. With a wink and an index finger to her lips, she said, "Just for you. Don't tell Mom."

Moon took the case in both hands and smiled like an idiot, giggling slightly. "How did you know I wanted it? Wait, I'll pay you back!" Moon said quickly.

"Don't worry about it! We just passed by a game shop and I wanted to get you something for doing me that favor last week," Luna said, taking the game back in her hands. "Oh, and you should probably get to the kitchen before Mom freaks again. Lillie's waiting, too. I'll put it in your room for you."

Moon nodded and started walking to the kitchen, but turned around smoothly when she realized that Ash and Riley were still there. "Uh, well, there's the exit."

"I see that," Riley said.

"I'll see you in school Monday, Moon! Gotta go now." Ash said, glancing at his phone. He slid on his shoes and stomped a few times before opening the front door. Riley followed him, but both were stopped.

"Wait!" Moon shouted, ducking her head after letting it out. "Riley."

"Moon."

"Uh… This is kinda weird, but I mean it. Can you… promise us that you'll come to school on Monday?" She started running her thumb along the pages of the books she was holding.

"What?" Riley asked

"Oh, yeah! Come on, man, it'll be fun! School's mad chill now," Ash said.

Riley felt that sinking feeling in his stomach again. _School? Are you kidding me? Of all things to talk about, it's that?_ he thought. "I-I don't know. I… can't make any promises."

"Then just try!" Moon said quickly following Riley's words. Ash gave a supportive thumbs-up. Dawn had a smile on her face that meant that she had an idea.

"I… guess it can't hurt _that_ much to try," Riley said.

"And we mean regularly, man. Not just like a few days just to pass the marking period," Ash added.

"Right. Well, the operative word is 'try,' now, isn't it?" Riley said. Everyone just smiled at him, which made him feel better. _Maybe school doesn't look_ that _bad right now_ , he thought.

"Well, see ya then, man!" Ash jetted out of the Park household and ran down the street, not even waiting for Riley, who walked the same way home for another block. Riley nodded at Moon and took his leave, and Dawn was waving wildly with a huge smile.

Moon closed the door with her foot and locked it, sighing. _No time_ , she thought, dashing to the kitchen. She slid into a wooden chair to the left of a seated blonde girl. "Hey, sorry for making you wait, Lillie."

"Mm, it's nothing!" the blonde said, waving it off. "Let's just get started."

Lillie took a textbook and cracked it open to page 491, looking at Moon expectantly. Moon took a side glance at it before her attention got sidetracked. At the corner of her eye, she saw Luna, Hau, and Gladion going up the staircase. She started staring for absolutely no reason, unintentionally leaving Lillie to wait awkwardly until she came to her senses. One of them felt Moon's gaze on them. Gladion turned his head to the right to peer into the kitchen.

He saw Moon looking at him, quickly followed by Lillie. He nodded at the latter and held a stiff hand up reluctantly to Moon, who didn't even look like she was conscious in that moment. Moon snapped out of it and shook her head, blushing. She waved back and laughed uncomfortably, turning back to sit correctly in her chair. _And Gladion probably thinks lesser of me. Again_ , she thought. "Sorry, Lillie. That was awkward. Again."

"Don't worry! Let's just try this next question," the blonde said, pointing at a basic system of equations.

Moon looked away to slowly scoot her chair over closer to Lillie, blushing even harder. The excessive creaking from her chair didn't help. She leaned over to read the question, catching wind of Lillie's perfume. _Again, maybe I should try wearing perfume. Maybe Serena can help me. Yeah! And then I can talk to her! Whoo!_ Moon thought, mentally cheering, but actually scribbling on a piece of looseleaf paper the two equations in question.

"You got it!" Lillie said. Even though it was just a statement, Moon milked it for all that it was worth and took it as praise. "Let's try this one next."

As Moon worked on a trig problem, she tried starting up conversation. "So… You guys went out again?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. The four of us went to watch a movie."

Moon felt a little sick. "Oh. I watched... cartoons today," she said lamely.

"Why didn't you come with us? We should all go together next time!" Lillie exclaimed while checking Moon's work.

 _I didn't get the memo. Luna didn't even tell me that she was going to catch a movie today. I thought she was going to her internship thing_ , Moon thought bitterly. "Yeah, absolutely."

"Correct!" Lillie drew a huge check mark on top of Moon's work, which she knew made Moon feel giddy for some reason. Well, who wouldn't melt when receiving praise? Moon shifted gears and just smiled, taking on another question with vigor. Then, she realized that she was solving math problems, and went immediately flaccid.

When she finished the problem, she just looked up to Lillie with a smile. Lillie returned it ten-fold. _Abso-toot-ly radiant_ , Moon thought, suddenly feeling insecure.

Meanwhile, Riley thought the same thing about Dawn. Presently, she was skipping with her eyes closed, a huge grin on her face, and humming a slightly off-key tune. _Absolutely radiant._ _You're an angel and a devil, Dawn_ , Riley thought. _You keep me going, and all the while, you know you kill me. You know it well._

He couldn't take his mind off of what Ash said earlier. _Had that battle really been her wish, Dawn would be gone right now._ He looked up to see her still skipping, without a worry in the world. _That's what she wants, isn't it? Isn't this keeping her in limbo or something? She_ needs _to pass on. Otherwise, I'm just forcing her to stay when she should be ascending, which she deserves_ , he thought.

He looked at the girl again and couldn't help but smile. _But, as much as I hate to say it, I want to be selfish. I don't want her to go any time soon. I still have so much to say. I at least have to apologize_. They stopped at a crosswalk, Dawn mashing the button on a lamp post to get the light to change. _As much as I don't want to say it, I'm glad that she's still here. At least for a little while longer. Please don't leave me like that again, Dawn._

They made their way back to Riley's place, greeted by a dark and empty home. Riley had no idea he exhausted he was until he kicked off his shoes and trudged up the stairs. When they went up to his room, Dawn immediately collapsed on his bed. "Ugh, so tired."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," he said, putting the two games he bought earlier that day on the bedside table. He turned to leave, but stopped when he heard shuffling. Dawn shot up, not tired anymore. "I'm awake," she simply stated, getting up and taking Riley's 3DS from his table.

 _Of course you are_ , he thought, leaving the room to take a shower.

Once they got completely settled in, what happened was pretty predictable. Riley turned his computer on and booted up _Dark Souls_ while Dawn started a new file in _Omega Ruby_. They played until midnight, when Dawn started drifting in and out of sleep. She put her game off to the side and tucked herself in, laying on her right side.

"Riley," she said, and he knew what to do. He blindly tapped on his phone and put on some music. Soon after, like it had been for the past few days, Dawn fell asleep to the glow of Riley's computer and the dulcet tones of Adam Gontier. She had gotten spoiled on falling asleep in absolute comfortability, with only Riley and herself to blame.

About an hour later, Riley shut his computer down and took his place on the couch of to the corner of the room; his eyes had started burning from the bright light of his monitor. Staring at Dawn, he found himself just thinking. _Dawn… The things you make me do_.

His thoughts kept drifting all over the place, all of which were memories of the past, memories of Dawn. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking. He couldn't even fall asleep. _Why did this have to happen? Dawn…_ he thought.

And then, _it_ started playing in his head. The memory that he wanted so desperately to purge from his mind. The memory that hurt him just thinking about it for a mere second. It made him feel sick to his stomach. _Guess this is my punishment_ , he thought, curling into fetal position and letting his mind wander.

He remembered it so clearly. It was winter, February 20th, 2013, midwinter break. Snow was caked on tree branches such that the smallest breeze made it fall back down and feel like it was snowing once more. The wind was chilling, and frost crept on every window pane.

The six members of Shadow of Losers were gathered in Calem's treehouse, bundled in heavy jackets and thick clothing. Dawn and Serena were wearing matching peacoats, Serena's red and Dawn's blue, huddled around a portable heater. Moon was standing off at a corner, smiling at her friends while playing on her DSI. Calem was nose deep in some book for whatever reason, and Serena was teasing him on it. Ash was bouncing a handball up and down. Riley was just sitting in the middle of it all, enjoying the company. Dawn bounded over to Riley and started up a conversation.

It started with a question. They had just reached a point of comfortable silence, and the words that the next person to speak up uttered cut through it like a knife. It was Serena. "Hey, Riley, do you _like_ -like Dawn?"

* * *

Author's note: If you can guess what the doll Moon was rolling around with was of, _major_ respect goes out to you.

Speaking of which, Gunter was a reference to Gunter from _Adventure Time_.

* * *

For the Reviews:

MythGirl the Pokemon Master: Thank you so much! I know I keep repeating it, but I really do mean it. You're so kind to me! Power to you.


	5. Shadow of Losers is Infinite?

"Hey, Riley, do you _like_ -like Dawn?" Serena asked, rocking back and forth innocently on her heels. The boy in question flinched at this. Everyone else stopped what they were doing and stared at the two.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Riley asked, adjusting his jacket zipper and pulling his shirt collar lower, caught off guard and struggling to breathe

"I mean that, y'know, you two _always_ hang out with each other. And you're so close, too. I just wonder, do you have a crush on her?" Serena tilted her head to the side and fiddled with the hem of her skirt.

Riley tensed up. All eyes were on him, expecting an answer. _What am I supposed to say? Any answer is a bad one. How is it that I'm the one backed into a corner over something like this?_

He looked over at Dawn, who was just waiting patiently. Riley wouldn't admit it, but he thought that Dawn looked like an angel in that moment. She was standing by a window that was open just a crack. The sunlight made her look dazzling, and the little wind blowing in made her hair wave about. Her small smile and gentle eyes didn't make him feel better about answering.

 _Wait, what the hell do I feel about her_? he asked himself. "I… Do I _have_ to answer?"

"Yeah," Serena said. Riley was pretty sure that if he hadn't stalled for time, everyone would have waved off whatever answer he gave and went about things like usual. But, there he was, making a scene out of it.

"Say it. Say it. Say it!" Ash egged on, putting a hand on Riley's shoulder and shaking him as he chanted for whatever reason. He was usually one who could make situations anything but serious, but this time, Ash was making things worse.

"Well? Do you love Dawn or not, Riley?" Serena asked.

"It's a yes/no question, Riley, just say one of them," Calem said, continuing to read his novel. Ash was still chanting in the background.

"I…" Riley found it hard to breathe. It was _suffocating_. Everyone was waiting on his answer, which he wasn't completely sure of himself. His head was spinning.

"We're not gonna judge you, Riley," Moon said to try to comfort him. She actually made it worse for him. Dawn just kept waiting quietly behind them.

"Just answer it, Riley!" Ash exclaimed, practically bursting at the seams.

Riley just felt sick. The room started spinning, it was sweltering hot for many reasons, his ears were ringing, and he was gasping for air. _It's not even that big of a deal, right? Why is this so painful? Whatever, I'm not going to give them any satisfaction or substance to rag on me with. Sorry Dawn. I know you'll understand, and I'll apologize later._

He glanced at his watch and then back up. He took one large breath and unintentionally yelled, "I don't love her." The room was deathly silent, everyone intimidated by Riley, the least quick to anger member of them, shouting at the top of his lungs. Because of this, Riley just panicked even more. _Shit, how do I fix this?_

"I don't even like her. Who would like a dumb, air-headed... crybaby like her, anyway?" He was overreacting. He didn't mean what he was saying. He didn't even _know_ what he was saying, just that he had to say _something_. The words just kept pouring out of his mouth, trying to mitigate each of the last things he said as he went along. He looked around the room and saw everyone's reactions, immediately regretting what he said. _Why am I able to shut up now?_

Serena looked like she regretted pushing him to say that, posture skewed and mouth agape. Ash hunched over and hid his face behind his baseball cap, completely quiet. Moon was startled by his outburst, pressing her body against the wall while shaking. Calem dropped his book and had yet to bend down and pick it up. And Dawn? Seeing Dawn's reaction made Riley feel like dying.

She was smiling. She was crying. She was doing both simultaneously. Despite the tears that were leaking out, she kept beaming her smile, white teeth showcased, wide and proud at Riley. She wasn't angry at all, and Riley felt horrible that he couldn't tell if she really was okay or not. "I get it. I still really like you, though, Riley!" she said.

And what did Riley do? He followed his first instinct, which was to run. Just run.

The ladder rope exit required him to go past Dawn, so he turned around and opened another door. Outside it was a metal slide leading down to the ground. Riley took one step onto it, and without hesitation just stomped his way down it, metal clanging deafening to all that heard.

Immediately after his exit, Dawn ran out to chase after him. "Riley!" she called out.

He dashed out at full speed, and didn't stop for anything. His legs were on fire and cars honked their horns at him when he cut it close crossing the street, but he just needed to get away. He made it to his house, ran up to his room, slammed the door, and locked himself in there for the rest of the day, deeply regretting his decisions.

And that was all he remembered. Whatever happened after that, Riley did not know the full details to. He only knew that the next day, Ash's mom called his house and told him the news. "Riley, sweetie, I'm so sorry. Dawn is dead," she said through snivels.

Riley's world came crashing down. His best friend was _dead_. The last thing that he had told her was that he didn't like her at all. He didn't even have the balls to apologize right there on the spot to her. He could never apologize to her _at all_. There were no second chances or retries. "Dawn is dead" kept echoing in his head.

He learned later from Ms. Collins that it was an accident; Dawn had slipped on a patch of ice near the floodplain running somewhere. She ended up falling down a bumpy hill and hitting her head on a jagged rock. The next morning, a jogger had found the body of a young girl floating on the water and called the police. Riley hadn't been to Chanswell Floodplain since. And he never left his house for a year after the incident. The remaining five never gathered together ever since.

 **~X~**

In the present, Riley ran his hands along his face with force, groaning. _Goddamn, why can't I just forget it?_ He glanced at Dawn, who was snoring lightly, hair covering her face. _I'm so sorry, Dawn. I really am. I swear I'll tell you that before you leave. Just don't leave me now._

His head skipped to a memory from earlier that week: when he said that the remaining five love Dawn. _I'm sure we do. I just have to speak for myself later. I do like you, Dawn. I definitely do._

He let his mind wander once more and he got lucky. A good memory resurfaced. "Shadow of Losers," he said to himself.

 **~X~**

Summer, 2012 in Calem's treehouse had the group of six kids sitting around a table. Splayed all about the table was a bunch of white machine parts and several propellers; there were several crumb-filled plates and jars of food spreads set off to the side. Calem kept grabbing pieces, glancing at some instruction manual, and screwing parts into place. He had a round main body of whatever he was putting together already made.

"What about… The Fighters?" Ash said, waving a hand across the air for dramatic effect. Everyone else groaned.

"Um, that's… nice, Ash, but we can do better," Serena said.

"Aw, dang it! Coming up with a name is hard," Ash exclaimed.

"Then just don't. It's not necessary to have a name for the six of us," Calem said, picking up another piece. He took one look at the instructions and immediately put the piece down, looking frazzled. "And if you actually _are_ going to carve it into the wall, _my_ wall, then try something less embarrassing."

"But, won't a group name make us sound… unified?" Moon asked, losing faith in her words halfway through.

"Yeah! And it'll be cool and fun," Dawn added.

"Just go back to your stupid robot, _Neighbor_ ," Serena spat.

Once Calem heard her call him "neighbor," he cringed. The stupid nickname she consistently called him because she _knew_ he hated it, to be reminded that they lived right next to each other.

"That _is_ a pretty cool thing. My mom probably wouldn't buy one for me. It's super expensive, right?" Ash said.

"Rich jerk," Serena muttered.

"For one thing, it's a _drone_. Secondly, _Lanier_ , Ash's suggestion was horrible," Calem said, sticking his nose in the air and ignoring the last two things that were said. Serena started growling when he called her by her last name. He purposely pronounced it incorrectly, saying it as "lane-ee-er" and ending it with a hard "r" while everyone else pronounced it "la-near". In Serena's family's mother tongue of French, Calem's pronunciation was even worse to her. He exploited this and always used this to tick her off and counter her nickname of "Neighbor".

"It wasn't that bad!" Ash said.

"It wasn't. But, let's pick something that we can take full pride in," Riley twitched at the thought of them being called "The Fighters".

"Hmm, uh, Dawn?" Serena timidly tapped said girl on her shoulder after taking a minute to press her fingers together in hesitation. Dawn whipped her head around, freshly dyed hair still looking oversaturated. "Um, what was that line in that poem you wrote?"

"What?" Dawn asked. She racked her brain for an answer. "You mean the one that I wrote last year?"

"Yeah, I remember. It sounded really cool," Moon said. Ash and Riley let out sounds of agreement while Calem didn't object.

"Uhh…" Dawn trailed off. She droned it on for an unnecessary amount of time, not remembering it at all. "Y'know, I wasn't really paying attention when I wrote it, right? I only did it to get out of class for that one day!"

"Doesn't change the fact that it was pretty cool," Riley said, patting her head.

Calem scoffed in the background, and Serena immediately got on his case. "Don't be bitter because your poem sounded like a robot spat it out."

"I didn't say anything," Calem said, looking back at his drone pieces. Serena walked past him, purposely bumping shoulders, and glanced at the bookshelf against the wall. Ash walked over and looked with her, putting a hand on her shoulder without thinking. She blushed at the sudden contact, wiggled in place a little, and snapped out of it when she found what she was looking for.

She grabbed a book with a cheap plastic binding and scanned the cover. She flipped it open and stopped on one specific page. She threw it onto the table and pointed at it. Everyone read the title of the page, then stopped reading once Serena burst out laughing. "Ha ha, you see this title? 'Profound Musings'? Calem, what were you thinking? Were you eavesdropping on another one of your mom's phone calls again?"

Riley chuckled, not able to hold it in. "Dude, how old are you again? I'm sorry, but, you're, like, twelve. I'm almost fifteen, and _I_ barely understand that title."

Calem flushed red, but refused to admit defeat. "How mature. All of you."

"Come on, you gotta admit, you try _too_ hard sometimes," Dawn whispered to Calem. Everyone else was sharing a good laugh with each other. "They're not laughing _at_ you, y'know?"

"I'd beg to differ," Calem said.

"Okay, well, they are, but it's because you're trying to be something you're not," Dawn said with a smile. He looked at her and immediately looked back down at his drone parts.

"Okay, I admit, I used a bunch of cinnamons to make the poem sound smart," Calem said, throwing up his hands. "Happy, Lanier?"

"'Cinnamons'?" Ash and Moon repeated.

"Do you mean 'synonyms'?" Riley asked. Calem blushed even harder and turned away from his friends. They still laughed, but it was lighter than it was initially. Riley secretly kept his eye on Calem.

"You laugh when Moon stumbles like that," Dawn said to Calem.

He scoffed and tried to push Dawn away. "It's different when she does it. She's fine with embarrassing herself."

"No, she's not." She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled again. "She just knows that her friends are here for her, and she can laugh whenever she wants around us. Unlike someone else."

Calem looked straight at her and tried to come up with a rebuttal. He failed to find one, and just looked at his laughing friends. "You're not really helping, Dawn."

She decided to take the hint and went back and joined the others, and seemed to trade spots with Serena. The honey-haired girl slowly inched towards Calem. "Sorry," she said like it was poison.

"That makes me feel _so_ much better, Lanier."

"Well, _Neighbor_ , I'm trying to make you feel better, okay? I wasn't laughing at you as much as I was laughing at how hard you're trying to sound smart, okay?"

"I _am_ intelligent."

"I'm sure you are. But, it doesn't mean anything if you just waste your breath pretending to be smarter than everyone else and just act like you're better than everyone," she said quietly. They locked eyes and seemed to reach a middle ground. Calem wouldn't admit anything, but he would be willing to drop the subject at the moment.

Serena grabbed him by the jacket cuff and dragged him over to the table. Riley smiled at this in the background. _That's a nice memory to hold onto and_ never _tell either of them that I saw_ , he thought.

"We're back," she sang, waving Calem's arm in the air like a flag.

"We found Dawn's poem," Ash said, pointing at the book.

"I wish you didn't," Dawn said bitterly. Having read it over a second time, she cringed at how embarrassing her work was.

"It's 'Shadow of Losers'! That's what we were trying to remember," Moon said.

"I still think it's really cool," Ash whispered to Dawn, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"And _that_ is any better than mine? We can take _pride_ in that name, Riley?" Calem said, looking at the older boy in disbelief. "This is trying too hard to be cool."

"I mean, it's something different, right?" Riley said. One look at Dawn made him want to defend her. A defeated, embarrassed Dawn was no match for a happy one.

"It was cool in the moment!" she exclaimed.

"Um, what did you mean by it, though?" Serena asked, referring to the title.

"Oh. Well, I… don't really know. I _guess_ I meant that, like, a shadow always exists, right? And, even if you feel like a loser, you always have your shadow, or something like that," Dawn said, looking unconvinced by her own explanation. "Like, I always… exist is what I'm trying to say, I guess? And I'm okay with being worth even less than a loser?"

"And, a shadow usually means someone that is lesser and not in the spotlight, and doesn't stand out. There's nowhere else to go but up if you're in someone's shadow. No one else can make you feel lower than you are, and the only thing you can do is rise up," Calem said, reading too far in between the lines. He seemed really hyped about it for some reason though. It must have hit the right note somewhere in his head.

"Okay, we're Shadow of Losers now!" Moon exclaimed, not to be forgotten.

"All right!" Ash shouted, fist pumping.

"Really?" Dawn asked, shaking her head, but not objecting. Riley nodded his head twice and went along with his friends. Serena and Calem shared a look; she offered a smile, which Calem returned after a minute.

"Alright, I'm not sure when or why we'll use that name, but if it floats your boat, let's just take it," Calem said, pretending to not care. Secretly, he was smiling and feeling rather giddy.

"Next order of business," Ash exclaimed.

"Which is…?" Riley led on.

"A catchphrase!"

"Catch… phrase?" everyone else asked.

"It sounds cool," Serena said, siding with Ash first. Usually, when it came to matters like this, an argument would erupt and one had to pick a side. But, once in a blue moon, they reached a consensus, and this time, everyone went along with it.

"Okay, so what do you want?" Calem asked, sweeping the pieces of his drone into a box, still unfinished.

"It has to have our name in it, right?" Moon asked nervously.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Dawn said. Everyone quieted down and let out hums signalling deep thought.

"Shadow of Losers is awesome?" Ash offered. Everyone, including him, simultaneously shook their heads.

"Shadow of Losers is… happy?" Serena offered, not even expecting it to be heard. Everyone groaned. It went on like this for a while. Either the phrase was too sappy, lame, or trying too hard to be cool.

 _Have to admit that this is actually really funny_ , Riley noted mentally.

Finally, an answer came forth, from Calem of all people. "Shadow of Losers is infinite."

Ash, Moon, and Dawn were in awe at the eloquence of the phrase. Riley had to admit that it had a ring to it. Serena also liked the sound of it, but realized something quickly after he said it. "Goddamnit, Calem. You took that phrase from the book your mom was reading!"

His scoff gave it all away. But, still, he denied the accusation. "I don't know what you mean."

"That weird book about being a flower on a wall or whatever. I flipped to the last page of the book, and the narrator said that she was 'infinite' or something like that," Serena said with her hands on her hips.

"The narrator was a boy," Calem said, correcting her, practically admitting that he did indeed read it.

"Oh, my god, you actually read that book? Isn't it about that weird stuff like sex?" Serena asked, immediately disgusted.

"I, uh"- he started coughing, trying to mask his response- "didn't understand what was happening in the book."

"That's nice," Serena said, a smug smile on her face.

"Whatever! Who cares? It's not like we're actually going to use it or anything!" Calem exclaimed.

"Okay, here we go!" Ash shouted out of nowhere. He lifted a dull knife out of a jar of peanut butter that was on the table.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Moon screamed, backing up and taking Dawn's hand, the closest grab-able thing.

"What? Carving it into the wall like we said," Ash said, licking some peanut butter off the utensil.

"You were serious about that?" Calem deadpanned. He watched as Ash wiped the knife clean and approached the wall opposite the exit. One hand was pressed against the wall and the other was pointing the knife at it. "Really?"

"Ready?" Ash asked, looking at his friends. Four of five of them gave thumbs-ups, one more zealous than the others, and the last crossed his arms, unamused. "Okay!"

"If you hurt yourself, I'm not calling my mom up here," Calem said, accepting what was happening as reality.

"Don't worry about that. Just trust me," Ash said and stabbed the wall.

"Ash, be more delicate," Serena said, jumping to his side and putting her hands around his, blushing at the contact. "Let's do this together."

After ten minutes, a rough outline of "Shadow of Losers" was carved onto the wood wall. They didn't even attempt to add "is infinite" to the end of it due to how annoying it was to carve just one word. Serena then shooed Ash away, taking the knife as her own and turning the activity into a calligraphy project. She added a bunch of large, unnecessary curves to each letter and tried to carve a cute little picture of a Pikachu next to it. It came out alright.

"You're better with a paintbrush on paper," Calem noted. She shot him a glare, making him turn his words around. "But, it looks pretty good for what it's worth."

"Thank you," she simply said, satisfied with what she did. "Shadow of Losers, people!"

"Yeah!" everyone shouted.

 **~X~**

Presently, Riley finally got a visit from the sandman. He just sighed, curled up tighter, smiled, and let himself drift into sleep. _Shadow of Losers… Those were the days_.

Saturday was fleeting, and Sunday became another wasted day. Dawn was glued to Riley's 3DS, plugging it into a nearby power socket to not worry about red power. Riley sat at his computer the whole day, playing his game like usual. At sometime at the turn of the evening, Dawn decided to say something. "What about tomorrow?" she asked, sitting up from lying down on her stomach.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not looking back at her.

"You promised Moon and Ash that you would go to school tomorrow."

Riley groaned and got a game over on his monitor. _Of course she remembered that_ , he thought. "You know, Dawn… There is such a thing as telling people what they want to hear and not executing it."

"That's not nice."

"I didn't even promise it to begin with. I said that I would try, not that I would."

"Why not?"

Riley opened his mouth, but no words came out. _Why not? Well, why would I?_ "There's no point. School is just a waste of time. I'm not saying that I'm smart, but school just treats everyone like they're exactly the same. I feel like I'm wasting my life away when I'm there. Plus, I just don't _want_ to go."

"Do you even go at all?" She moved to stand right behind him, hugging him from behind.

"Dawn, let go, please," Riley said, getting another game over.

"Not until you answer my questions."

"I'm not gonna lie and sugar coat this, Dawn: you're being _really_ annoying right now."

"But school doesn't even sound that bad. Ash and Moon'll be there, and I'll tag along too."

"No! Just stop!" Riley pounded his fists on the table. Dawn jumped at the sound and took a step back, feeling rather guilty. He sighed and continued, "Look, just give me room to breathe. I _hate_ school, and just because I had a decent time with Ash and Moon Friday doesn't mean that I'll instantly change my mind. Besides, it's not like you're one to talk. Remember back in fourth grade?"

"Oh," Dawn whispered and flopped back down on the bed.

"Yeah, 'Oh,' Miss 'I didn't want to go to school and had my mom forcibly dress me and push me out the door to go'." Riley rolled his eyes and went back to playing. _That was a mouthful_.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm sorry." She took a minute to let the tension die down. Dawn couldn't stop herself from trying to lighten the mood. "Come on, even you admitted that Mrs. Douglas was horrible."

He slightly shrugged, but otherwise didn't respond. Dawn let it be, quieting down and leaving him alone. She closed her eyes, eventually dozing off. Riley didn't get up from his seat once for the next few hours.

After a time, Riley realized that he was surrounded by darkness at all sides except the front. He whipped his head to the right and squinted, focusing his sights on his digital alarm clock. The red numbers were blurry, but came into focus in a matter of seconds. _11:39, huh?_

The room was hauntingly quiet. Riley had turned his game's volume down all the way to let Dawn sleep. He stood up and looked around, eyes adjusting to the room just barely lit by his computer. The form of his bed came into view and he sluggishly walked forwards slowly, arms put out for balance and to make sure nothing was in the way of his path. Approaching the bed, his shin collided with the hardwood frame, and he bit his lips to suppress a swear from falling out.

He moved his left hand to hit the headboard, then lowered it slowly along the smooth surface. Then, he felt a pillow, and then he felt relief. The sensation of silky hair under his hand made him relax. _She's still here. Good._ A small snore escaped the lips of the resting girl. His hand found its way to the top of Dawn's head and stayed there for a minute as he took a deep breath. _11:45? Still early_. _It better be worth it. Can't be that bad, can it?_

He turned around and walked back to his computer, this time much faster given that his destination was a source of currently active illumination. After a few clicks of the mouse, his monitor turned blue and white. He turned around with his phone in hand, using it as a light source. His next destination was the bathroom.

Dawn started stirring, eyes opening after hearing footsteps. She sat up in the darkness and could make out a tall figure walking away from the computer with a beam of light pointing in her direction, nearly blinding her. "Riley?"

The boy opened the door and closed it behind him just as fast, as quietly as he could. Once the door shut, the computer screen blacked out, leaving Dawn in complete darkness. She glanced at the alarm clock just a couple of feet away, noting the time. _Not even midnight? Why so early? Something happen?_ she thought before falling back onto the bed and letting herself fall back asleep.

When the morning came, Dawn woke up to the sound of the rustling of papers. She opened her eyes and sat up only to see Riley kneeling on the floor by the bed. He was placing a healthy stack of loose leaf paper into a large white binder. The clock read 6:44.

Riley stopped shuffling papers to look up and meet Dawn's gaze, giving her a simple nod. After a few seconds, he looked back down and finished filling his binder, throwing it on top of a black backpack and leaving the room.

Dawn slithered out of bed and rubbed her eyes, then ran her fingers through the tangles in her hair. She walked across the room and squatted down to look at the binder Riley had been fiddling with. Inside the transparent pocket in front, there was a class schedule. "He's gonna go to school? He's gonna go to school!" she exclaimed, clapping and touching the plastic binder. "I wonder what high school's like."

She followed the schedule, reading Riley's first class. It was Math Team for first period with a teacher named Archer. She picked the binder up and flipped it around, curious to see if the back had something as well. And, lo and behold, there was a bell schedule. And, apparently first period started at 7:10, running to 7:57.

Riley came back into the room, sliding a watch on his left wrist. He squatted down in front of Dawn and took the binder from her hands, then shoved it carelessly into the backpack under it. "Morning."

"How'd you get this? Didn't you say you never went out?" she asked, pulling the binder back out and shaking it in the air.

"They sent it in the mail, and my dad threw it at me when he got it," he answered, sighing and putting it back in.

"Well, you're class starts in, like, twenty minutes," Dawn said, grabbing onto Riley's hand to pull herself up after he stood up. He waited patiently for her, glancing at his watch to check the accuracy of her statement. "You're always extra early."

"I'm not making it for first period," he said, walking over to his closet and pulling out a light jacket. Dawn gave him a look. "I forgot, and woke up late. But, I had him last year, too. He's cool enough, I guess."

"And how long did you know him for?"

"I went about a week to his class."

"How did you pass?" They started walking out. Dawn ducked into the bathroom as they made their way down the hall, tugging Riley back as to tell him to wait for her. He had the door closed in his face.

He heard the sink running and started tapping his foot, then stared intently at his watch. "How long?"

"You didn't answer my question!" she shouted from the other side of the door.

He sighed at this and leaned against the door so he didn't have to talk any louder than he usually did. "My school has a weird policy. As long as you pass the last marking period, you pass the whole school year and get all the credits."

He heard the toilet flush, then the sink running for about another minute. The door opened up and Dawn stepped aside to let him in, drying her hands on a towel. She went back to the sink and grabbed a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. _Still don't get why she needs to do this kind of stuff. Only I can see her, and she looks great, like she always did. And she still eats as much as she used to, too. She's supposed to be a spirit?_ he wondered, too early in the morning to be stressed about anything but not being fully awake.

"One: what's a credit? Two: high school's _that_ easy?!" she asked before starting to brush.

Riley stood behind her to check his appearance in the mirror above the sink. "A credit's something you get them from passing classes, and when you get enough, you can graduate," he explained. He smoothed out a wrinkle on his shirt. "I'm not sure if it's easy or not, but, the hardest part is showing up. At least, it is for me. You only need a sixty-five to pass, and tests and quizzes together are worth, like, sixty percent of your total grade. So, if you take all the tests and quizzes, get hundreds on them, or close enough, and show up and turn homework in for a few days, you're guaranteed to pass. They post test dates on the school website, so I don't even have to go out unnecessarily at the end of the year."

"So, in other words, you're still really smart?" she asked, voice warbling from the brushing.

"I wouldn't call it smart. Most of it is just what makes the most logical sense."

"Like what?"

"Don't ask me. I dunno, I guess… When was the War of 1812 started?"

After much hesitation, Dawn said, "1812?"

"Yup. The rest is just context," he said.

"Sure it is," Dawn replied after rinsing her mouth for the third time through. _School's hard. I was the dumbest person in class. Ash did better than me on tests because he crammed and studied. I didn't, but still passed by a big margin, but still was the dumbest of the class._

She shut the water off and turned around to see Riley heading back to his room. She ran to catch up to him, grabbing the handle of his backpack to stay close. He crossed the room to shut down his computer and pick up a water bottle from the desk. Dawn sat back down on the bed and held the 3DS in her hands. "Can I bring this with me?"

"No." He didn't even look back to know what she wanted. _Her mom never let her take expensive stuff out of their home. Dawn always complained about it. All five of us had our games with us, and she always had to look on with Serena during field trips._

The picture flashed in his head. Every single field trip in elementary and the first half of middle school that the six of them were in the same class (which was third, fifth sixth, and seventh, luckily enough), it was always the same. A yellow school bus would roll up to the school front, and their class would march up to it in two lines. Their teacher would lead the way and direct the kids into the school bus. The students were in two lines, a boys' and a girls'.

Always at the front were the six of them, who didn't waste time lollygagging in the hallways and lagging behind, knowing very much that it was more comfortable talking together sitting on the bus. The boys' line started with Calem, then Ash and Riley. The girls' line went Serena, Moon, and Dawn.

Upon boarding the cheese bus, the six always took the same seats: the first three to the right of the driver. In the front sat Calem and Riley, the former of which refused to sit near Serena in fear of her being a nuisance. In the middle was the liveliest and loudest pair, Ash and Moon. That left Serena and Dawn in the last seats. Dawn would always share the view with Serena, plus anything else they had, be it a single cookie in secret from the rest of them or Serena's game.

On the way back, Serena and Riley would trade seats. Calem would be too tired to argue with Serena on the way back, and Serena was too adamant about getting her fill of teasing the nerd for the day to leave him alone. On the way back and home, the experience was always filled with smiles, laughs, and good times for the six of them collectively. Not anymore. There were no more field trips. There were no more smiles like it used to be. There was no more Shadow of Losers.

"Please?"

"No. I'm not going to even try to explain why there's a floating 3DS next to me the whole day, if that's even what it looks like to others. I'm not gonna risk it. It's enough that I'm going out, isn't it?"

"Fine," she said, accepting defeat.

"Do you really want to come with me? I can't promise that I'll come looking for you if you get swept away by a wave of people in the hallway when the bell rings," he teased.

"I'll be _fine_! No worries." They shared a smile

The moment was ruined by a harsh knock at the door. It flew open and Riley's dad asked in monotone, without even poking his head in, "Are you going to school today?"

When Riley didn't answer him, he looked inside. He took a double take at the fact that his son was dressed up with a backpack on, seemingly ready for school. Without waiting for a response, he closed the door and left.

"What?" Dawn said, breaking the silence.

"It's nothing. I'm usually gone before he comes to ask if I'm going out if I am, I guess," Riley said and pulled his backpack straps higher up his shoulders.

Riley ran a mental checklist through his head, making sure he had everything. He patted his pockets and did a once over of everything he had. _I don't know why I'm so nervous right now. I've never felt this way for the past three years whenever I went to school. Guess it's because Ash and Moon are_ expecting _me to be there. Okay, then. Watch? Check. Keys? Check. Backpack with paper and pens and water? Check. Metro card? Check. Dawn? Check_.

Riley opened the door and exited the room, not even looking back. Dawn trailed him closely, grabbing the elbow of his jacket to hold onto. They took a stop at the kitchen to nibble on some granola bars and take some for the road. At the entrance, Riley slid his shoes on and opened the front door.

The two of them stepped out and were greeted with humidity. It was one of those days that was cloudy, yet bright as heck in the early hours. It just smelled like rain. Shallow puddles gathering in the divots of the sidewalk and asphalt of the streets, as well as dew on the lawns of the houses along the street signaled rain sometime earlier.

 _Umbrella? I'm pretty sure it's in there somewhere, so, check_ , he thought. He turned around to lock all three locks on his door, then moved to start walking.

"How far is it?" Dawn asked, walking faster to be at his side instead of lagging behind.

"Going by bus. The stop is, like, four blocks away," he answered. She groaned and dropped her head.

"Then, it's, like, a twenty minute ride to the front of school, give or take."

"Uuugh!"

"And by then, we'll be, what, half an hour early for second period?"

"You're breaking my balls, here, Riley."

"I know. But, I thought you were used to waiting," he said, checking the time and quickening his pace a bit.

"I _can_ wait, and I _will_ wait, but that doesn't mean I _want_ to wait," she replied, matching his speed, starting to breath out of her mouth.

They made it three blocks without encountering any hiccups. One street away, Riley could see the bus stop peeking out from behind a storefront from where he stood. The walk signal flashed white and Riley took one step off the sidewalk. He looked to the right to make sure no car was turning into the lane he was standing in. Then he glanced to the left, seeing no cars for the rest of the stretch of the street, but catching wind of Dawn with a smile on her face, as well as something else he wished he hadn't.

Across the street, there was a bunch of rowdy teenagers walking down the sidewalk perpendicular to the direction Riley was facing. They were walking in the formation of a wall; the six or seven people were occupying the whole width of the sidewalk, making it even worse for other pedestrians by walking at a snail's pace. They were shouting at each other, and a couple of them were tackling each other for whatever reason.

And in the center of the whole group was one Ash Collins, earbuds in and walking to the beat of his own drum. Several of them, including Ash, were wearing sports jerseys, which made Riley start sweating. _Oh, come on. I don't want to stereotype or anything, but they're really intimidating and obnoxious right now_ , he thought, not moving from his spot. A handful of them started whooping, laughing and pointing their phones at one person of the group who tripped and fell. _Case in point._

Riley decided to wait for the next walk signal to cross, a lesser risk than just rushing ahead a block to claim a spot at the bus stop. _Why are they here this early? It's 7:07. Aren't they supposed to go to school late or something? If I run now, I'll probably be the only person waiting for the bus this early, the first one. But, then again, they'll probably just stand right behind me to cut in line, or wait for the bus to come and force their way in first. It wouldn't be the first time for either of those. Either way, it's not worth it. I'll just wait and take a breath here before crossing, and let them pass first_ , he thought.

Riley decided on his plan, which quelled some of his anxiety. But, this was immediately thrown out the window when he felt Dawn pulling him forwards. "Come on, it _just_ changed!"

He tried to plant his feet firmly on the asphalt, but failed, almost falling down when Dawn gave him a surprisingly forceful tug. He ended up walking forwards to keep his balance, and found himself already a third of the way across the street. _What kind of idiot would I look like if I walked back and waited for the light to change twice?_

With no choice but to keep walking, Riley dragged his feet forwards while keeping his head down. Once he made it to the other side, he exhaled loudly. Dawn had stopped pulling him forwards to stand and point to his left. "Riley, look! It Ash! Let's say hi."

Riley stood up straight and started walking again, refusing to meet up with Ash in the position he was in. Dawn tried to hold him back, but was well weaker than him, letting herself be pulled along. Riley stopped right in his tracks when he heard someone call out to him.

"Hey, Riley!" Ash shouted from not even ten strides away. His whole crew stopped walking to see Ash go up to the strange loner and hold a fist up to him. "You came!"

 _What do I do? Run? We're going to the same damn destination. Respond? They're staring and judging. There's no way out of this_ , Riley thought, immediately panicking. After a minute, he slowly returned the fist bump. "Hey, Ash," Riley whispered, scratching his cheek with his hand over his mouth, and trying to obscure his face.

Before Ash could say anything else, one of his friends cut in. He had spiky hair that probably required a myriad of hair care products to maintain. His cocky voice said, "Yo, Ash, who's the loser?"

"Huh? Oh, Gary, this is my friend-"

"Friend? This guy?" Another friend cut in, this one with blond hair that was dyed green for some reason.

"Hey, Drew, lay off," Ash said, trying to defend Riley. Riley blushed and stared straight at the ground. _Why do they have to be so jerky sometimes?_

"Hey, wait a minute. Isn't this the kid who only goes to school like five days a year?" shouted a ginger girl in a tracksuit. Riley slumped down, feeling self-conscious.

"Misty, don't worry. He's actually really cool. Come on-" Ash said before getting cut off by another person of the group. _What? Jeez, let me talk! No, let Riley talk! You don't know him!_

"What a loser," some guy said, who had no outstanding features.

"Yo, get your bitch-ass outta here!" shouted another generic looking guy.

"He looks like such a creep," said a girl with a shrill voice.

"How old is he? He looks _so_ old," another pitchy girl. Riley felt even _more_ self-conscious, not even giving the thought that they were exaggerating the time of day.

He was aware that he was taller than the average guy, and even beat Ash, the tallest of the other remaining four if Riley recalled correctly, by a couple of inches. He was also three years older than Moon, Calem, and Dawn, and two years older than Ash and Serena due to being held back in the past for reasons he would rather not talk about. He also had had a rather pale complexion from staying inside so long, and heavy bags under his eyes from staying up late and waking up early to play games.

 _Get me out of here_ , he thought, breathing heavily, eyes blurring and nose tingling. He raised a shaky hand and pressed it against his ear. _Shut up. I know that; I don't need to hear it from you. Just let me go. Shut up, shut up. What the hell do you know? I'm trying my best to live over here._ _Please, just stop._

Dawn noticed that Riley was quietly breaking down. She didn't know what else to do but hug him and not let go. "They're wrong," she told him. He took a shaky breath. " _So_ wrong."

"Guys, just chill! Back off!" Ash exclaimed, holding his arms out in front of Riley like a shield. _What the hell? He didn't do anything yet!_

"What, are you _really_ protecting him?" asked another generic jock.

"What a loser. And he has _Ash_ protecting him, of all people," said one of the girls from earlier, not looking up from her phone.

"Let's just go, dude. The bus is right there," said Gary, walking past his apparent friend. A couple of other people followed him.

"You don't have to be such jerks," Ash said bitterly.

 _Get out. Run. Escape. Leave. Stop. End it. Shut up. Regret. Breathe. Suffocating. Dying_ , Riley thought, holding onto his stomach. He started feeling physically ill from a combination of the insults and his own warping thoughts. He could only hear his depressing thoughts and his heartbeat pounding in his ear.

He only looked at one square of concrete on the sidewalk, over Dawn's shoulder, and focused on it. All things in his peripheral vision faded away. A car zoomed by, honking loudly, and Riley couldn't even be bothered looking up to comprehend that it happened. Things started warping in his vision. The straight lines on the sidewalk started curving, and Riley felt like time was sand running through his fingers. _I have to get away_.

"Riley?" Dawn asked, letting him go. The next thing she knew, Riley had grabbed her hand and squeezed it so tightly, she felt like it was going to fall off. Then, he ran the fastest he could. Dawn could barely keep up to prevent herself from falling. "Riley!"

He didn't slow down in the least bit. He just needed to get away. _Run away. I'm scared. I'm a coward,_ he thought.

"Riley, please stop! I'm gonna fall!" Dawn got no response. "Aren't you tired! They're gone now!" It didn't make it through to him.

They made it down two streets safely before anything that Dawn said got through to him. She looked up and took a large gasp. She screamed, "Red light! Stop!"

Riley finally was able to see in something other than tunnel-vision. He put his right foot down and came to a rough halt at an intersection. A big rig went by, breeze from its passing cooling Riley's face down. He bent over and started hyperventilating. Dawn put a hand on his back and stayed by his side.

She looked around and spotted something that caught her eye. She took one of his hands in both of hers and dragged him towards what seemed to be a church. The front of the building had a small flight of stone stairs as well as a long, winding ramp that formed somewhat of a circuit. This building was familiar, nostalgic. They've been here before in days past. Dawn pulled Riley down to sit on the steps and hugged him, letting him get all the air he needed.

Meanwhile, at the scene of the crime, Ash was left standing at where Riley was just a minute ago. The rest of his friends had left with the exception of the redheaded girl from earlier, Misty. "Come on, Ash. You're not going to stand here all day."

"You guys didn't have to be so mean to him," Ash said with his fists balled.

"Sorry. I can't speak for them, but _I_ wasn't actually insulting him."

"Yeah, I know."

"Let's just go, Ash. I want some coffee right now."

"You go on ahead. I'll see ya in pre-calc."

Misty got visibly ticked off. She bared her teeth and lifted a hand to his face. She pulled down on his ear, resulting in Ash crying out in pain. "We're going to Starbucks. Now."

"Ow, ow! Okay, Misty!" he shouted, snapping out of his slump. _I've gotta apologize to him later._

Misty let go of Ash's ear after walking a block. Hooking a left, they continued for another minute before Ash noticed something. Or, rather, someone. He put a hand on Misty's shoulder to get her attention. "Hey, you go on ahead. I gotta… call Stephen about practice."

Misty looked a little disappointed, but shrugged. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Uh, just some plain coffee," Ash said, taking out his wallet and giving her a few bills. After taking the money, Misty took off, leaving Ash behind.

Ash did pull out his phone, but it was to check the time. _Got a while_ , he thought. He looked up and smiled, seeing a group of five girls. Three of them he did not know by name, but saw in the hallways many times over the years. The other two girls were familiar, one much more than the other. The most familiar girl to Ash had black hair with an uncomfortable smile that he knew all too well. She was walking about two yards behind the other four, who were talking and laughing about who knows what.

From where he stood, he waved. He had contemplated shouting out, but after what just happened with Riley, he decided against it. When the group of girls came close enough, he whispered, "Moon."

Moon flinched at first, then noticed who said it and the beckoning motion that he was making with a hand. The other four girls waved at Ash, two of them with semi-flirtatious smiles, and he reciprocated it. "Hey guys," he said to not draw suspicion.

The girls walked past him, but Moon looked like the gears in her head were turning. "Uh… Luna? I have to run back home. I left… my math homework there."

It sounded rather unconvincing, but Luna didn't catch it. "Oh, sure. See ya at lunch!"

Moon turned around and walked back to Ash, who was leaning coolly against the brick wall of a building. "What happened? Uh, is anyone gonna recognize you?" Moon asked.

"Uh… If you meant whether or not my friends are around, then they already left. I need to talk to you."

"Okaaay," Moon said, tapping her fingertips together and looking around nervously. "Haha, sorry, it's just that… I-I don't think I'll be able to handle your friends."

Ash cringed and grunted. "Yeah, uh, I know."

"Well, then... Ugh, just shoot," Moon said, trying to change the topic. She stood on her tiptoes and stared at the bus stop at the other side of the sidewalk. "There's a lot of people waiting for the bus."

"Riley's not coming today," he said quickly.

"What does that mean? How would you know?"

"I… saw him a few minutes ago. My friends, they… said some bad stuff and he just _freaked_. Then, he ran away, and I don't think it's a good idea to make him come today. Or anytime soon," Ash said with empty eyes. "Damn."

"What? So, he was going to come, though?" Moon looked surprised. _I thought he would have just stayed at home. He made an effort to go out?_

"Yeah, he was. I'm guessing Dawn talked him into it."

"Yeah. Probably." She had a small smile. _But, what can I do now? Just have to get through today._ With this, Moon gripped the strap of her cross-body backpack and waved. "I-I'm gonna go now. The crowd cleared out, and there's another bus heading there. Bye!"

Moon turned and ran to the bus stop, head bowed and sticking a hand up in the air, leaving Ash behind. Ash waved back and sighed, looking at the cloudy sky. _I'm sorry, Riley. It was_ really _uncalled for._

Misty came jogging back, holding two cups of hot coffee. She passed one over to Ash and sipped on her own. "Still down?"

"Nah, let's just go," he lied, shoving a hand in his pocket and watching the steam from his coffee go up into the air.

 **~X~**

Back at the church front, Riley finally calmed down. His breathing evened out, but he still felt down. He stepped on a small pebble and twisted his foot on top of it. "Goddamnit," he said, voice cracking.

Dawn gave him another hug. "Don't worry. It's okay," she said.

"I wish it was," he said, his voice starting to even out. _I felt like I was having a heart attack._ "This is why I didn't want to go to school."

"I'm sorry." Dawn wrung her hands together and hung her head in shame. "I didn't know people were actually that mean. What they said… it was like something from a cartoon. And, things on TV are almost never real."

Riley suppressed the urge to take a sharp intake of air. _I'm not going to touch that_. "Well, people can be real jerks when it benefits them."

Dawn nodded and stood up. She walked to the edge of the sidewalk and used the curb as a makeshift balance beam. She stuck her arms out on either side of her and started walking. "Whoa!" she said, overreacting on purpose.

Riley didn't respond, but just watched her and her antics. She walked a few yards with average grace, humming. She turned around to try to walk back, arms still out.

Then, a car rushed by at a high speed, trying to beat a yellow light. The wind caused by the passing car and how unexpected it was caused Dawn to lose her balance. Her arms spun in circles and she started tipping to her right. "Whoa!"

Things started playing in slow motion for Riley. Dawn swung her arms wildly and was falling, even if only from a height of about three inches. _Falling._ What Ms. Collins told him about the accident echoed in his head. _Falling. I ran away. I couldn't catch her. Falling… I let her fall. No one stopped it from happening. Dawn… Dawn… I'm not going to let her fall._

Riley shot up and lunged forwards rather dramatically. His world was still in slow motion as he grabbed at Dawn's hand, fingers brushing against hers. He tried again, and got a firm grip on her hand. Then, with all his might, he pulled her back.

He ended up falling on his back, awkwardly splayed on top of the steps. He groaned in pain, but he didn't care. _Dawn_. She fell on top of him, hitting her forehead on his chest.

"Ouch. Th-thanks," she breathed, their faces inches apart. "You okay?"

"Fine. Back hurts, but as long as you're still here, I'll be fine." He didn't make any move to stand up. They stayed there for a minute before someone broke it up.

"Is this really what you're doing with your life, Riley?" said a know-it-all voice that Riley had only heard before, just one week ago. He looked up and saw Calem Thompson towering over him, _looking down_ on him.

* * *

Author's note: And that's a wrap! I wanted to get this out by today since my spring break starts today, so here it is. Now, I can hear my backlog of games calling me. So, I'm off! I'll probably update sometime shortly after next week if you care. Speaking of school, I based Riley's school policies on my high school's ones. Looking back, it was actually pretty cool, huh?

If you thought that the revealing of what happened to Dawn was kind of flaccid, then don't worry; for one thing, I guess it's supposed to feel unfinished since it was only what Riley remembered of it, and not anyone else. Another thing is that it's not meant to be the climax, really. It's more of a catalyst, I guess.

As for the reviews:

Thank you so much MythGirl for being such a loyal reader. Until next time!


	6. You make me Crazy

There he stood, in all his glory, Calem Thompson. His shadow was completely shading Riley, who had yet to sit up. Also there was Serena Lanier, an unlikely duo as of the present time. He was standing rather close to Serena, a diorama closing the gap between them.

The diorama was a rather large box filled with small handmade figurines of people against a beautifully painted background. Time and effort were undoubtedly put into it. The sheer extravagance of the design and how vibrant it looked like, as well as the models of a man in a pink suit and a yellow car clicked in Riley's head. _It's that party scene from_ The Great Gatsby, he thought. _That book sucked._

"Wow, Serena, look at you! Lemme guess, you made and painted everything? What'd Calem do? Oh," Dawn said. She stopped talking when she noticed a bunch of papers stapled together inserted safely into the diorama. She didn't bother reading past the first full sentence of the page since just that had three words that she did not know the meaning to. Dawn could only guess that it was some reflection piece. The only thing she knew was that Calem must have wrote it all.

It was actually a ten-page, double-sided in-depth analysis paper about the significance of the party scene out of _The Great Gatsby_. And indeed, Calem had written it alone. His name was the only one on the paper, while Serena's was the only one on the diorama.

"Riley, do you see this? Serena got even better at art, and Calem got even nerdier!" Dawn exclaimed, ogling at the beautiful work that Serena had created.

 _Why do they already have such a huge project done already? It's the second week of school,_ Riley wondered.

"Can we put this down if you're just gonna waste time talking to him?" Serena snapped, arms trembling from carrying the somewhat hefty box. Together, they slowly lowered the box down to the concrete sidewalk. Serena instantly stepped away from Calem and Riley to lean coolly against a brick pillar. She pulled out her phone and started texting furiously.

"You okay, Serena?" Dawn asked, moving to stand next to the girl.

"You've had enough time, don't you think? Or do actually _like_ lying down in the middle of a public place?" Calem asked lazily. His interest level was nearing zero.

Riley immediately sat and stood up, but he was slouching, still feeling defeated from earlier. He dusted his pants off, but refused to meet Calem's gaze. "No, I just, I just tripped."

"I'm _sure_ you did. _Very_ good for you," Calem said back in such a condescending tone.

"Asshole." Riley could have _sworn_ he heard Serena say this. But when he looked at her, her fingers were a-flying on her phone and her face was bored.

"You going to school?" Riley asked, knowing very well the answer. Calem was wearing a sweater that said "High Horizon Academy" on it. _And they're carrying a stupid English project. Of course they are._

"Obviously. Are you? That'd be a miracle in and of itself."

"I… I was." Riley still refused to make eye contact with him.

"'Was'? As in a past-tense?" Calem rolled his eyes at Riley rubbing his arm and staring at the sidewalk instead of the person addressing him. He sighed. "You're wasted potential, Riley Reyes."

"What?"

"It's your own fault if you didn't catch that. I'm not repeating myself. It's just a waste of time."

After an awkward pause, Riley spoke again. "And this conversation _isn't_ to you?"

"What exactly are you doing with your life, Riley?"

"Why exactly do you care? Last you saw of me, I came bursting into your treehouse and caused a commotion."

Meanwhile, Dawn was staring at Serena's phone in wonder. Serena had an application open that turned on a camera that faced inwards. Her face was clear on the screen and she stuck her tongue out after a few seconds of hesitation.

On the screen, a pair of relatively poorly animated brown dog ears appeared on top of Serena's head, and a bad looking tongue popped out of her open mouth into the foreground. "Wow, is this a waste of time. It looks horrible, too! What is this?" Dawn had no words to describe how stupid she thought whatever Serena had on her phone was.

Serena took a picture and stared at it for a good minute. Then she shook her head and deleted the image immediately. _I look like a nightmare_ , she thought as she gently touched her face and checked her makeup.

"Serena? You okay?" Dawn asked. She took a good look at her old friend and couldn't help but notice how much her appearance had changed from before. Her hair was long and tied into an odd bun sitting directly on top of her head, which, in Dawn's opinion, was a bad hairstyle at all. She was wearing clothes that seemed to have maximized the amount of skin she was showing. And her face? Makeup was absolutely evident, from thick mascara to deep, red lipstick. "What have you done to yourself, Serena?"

Dawn recalled Serena being so meek, modest, and approachable. If she were to be honest, she actually felt intimidated by being in Serena's presence. Her honey hair used to be cut short, her clothes used to cover all the skin they could, and her eyes usually were staring off into the distance, too shy to make eye contact unless it was with a fellow Shadow of Losers member. A blush often adorned her face, unless she was teasing Calem, in which it was replaced with a sharp smirk and half-closed eyes. _What happened?_

Calem and Riley were still having their stiff back-and-forth.

"Because last I saw, you really were just a truant who justified not going to school with 'I don't feel like it'." Calem crossed his arms.

 _And he wouldn't be wrong_ , Riley thought. He finally brought himself to look at Calem. "You don't know the whole story."

"I would beg to differ. Someone of the past died. Time passed. Everyone affected by it moved on except for you. Simple," he said coldly.

"Please don't say it," Riley said under his breath. _Don't. It doesn't apply to this._

"Grow up."

They could hear Serena snort in the background, but neither boy could tell if it was at what was just said or whatever was on her phone. _How ironic. This is a place of childhood_ , Riley thought.

 **~X~**

It started flashing before his eyes. Spring of any year that the six of them were together. It bled into the summer, and the early stages of autumn. On extremely snowy days, winter was up there as well. The very church they were in front of them was their old stomping ground.

Whenever they got bored, or they walked home from school together because no one got picked up by their parents that day and felt like running like idiots, or for no reason at all, they would come out to the church front.

Who says that tag is a kid's game? Certainly not Shadow of Losers, although they weren't ones to speak given that they _were_ children themselves. The circuit made by the ramp and the steps of the church was a perfect ring to follow for running around in a circle for the small legs of kids not yet teenagers.

All it took to spark a race or chase was someone simply shouting "let's go!" or "tag,your it!", or wearing a shit-eating grin for absolutely no reason. And, on the rare occasion, the grabbing off of someone's hat. Then, they were off.

The instigator would dash forwards at full speed onto the ramp or stairs, then keep running until they descended the other exit. Then, the cycle would repeat as all the others would join in in the chase with not a care in the world. Ah, the advantages of youth. They would run and run until the instigator was caught, or until all but one got too tired and dropped out.

They almost always fell into the same ranks in the chase. Leading the run was Ash, the most athletic of all of them, shortly followed by Serena, whose mother was a marathon runner who tried to pass the torch on to her child. Then was Moon, who started running her absolute hardest from the start to not fall into last place in fear of feeling embarrassed; she was always the first to start breathing heavily, but was resilient enough to not always be the first to stop running. In fourth place was Dawn and Riley in a tie, who ran at a trot to not tire themselves out. They weren't competitive in the least bit, at least for their little games of tag. And, straggling behind in dead last every single time was Calem, the least athletic person, who tired out very quickly and tried to justify this by saying he had no time for such childish antics. Yet, he ran anyway.

No matter what the situation or spark for their races, it was always good times. If anyone was down from a bad test grade, their parents shouting at them, being called on by the teacher and not knowing the answer, being bored, or just for no reason at all, playing tag like idiots in front of the church made all the worries go away.

"Can't catch me!"

"Hurry up, Calem!"

"I'll do my best!"

"Slow down!"

"This is actually pretty fun."

"Had your fill yet?"

Laughs, smiles, and fun were had every single time. But, it was no more.

 **~X~**

"That's a loaded statement," Riley said under his breath.

"Beg pardon?"

"I'll beg _your_ pardon," Dawn caught Serena muttering.

"Have you actually been doing _anything_ productive with your time, Riley? Or are you so pathetic as to let yourself go to waste over a simple incident of the past?"

"It wasn't _just_ a 'simple incident,' and you know that, Calem." Riley narrowed his eyes.

"Once more, I would beg to differ."

"Then why don't you say her name?" Riley _knew_ that Calem was affected just as much by Dawn as he was. Calem was just too stubborn to admit defeat and show it. He was living a lie, pretending to be well older than he actually was.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Denial, huh? One of the five stages of grief. I'm talking about _Dawn_."

Calem's face twitched as he audibly took a breath and turned his head away. Serena almost dropped her phone, then moved to clutch it tightly, knuckles turning white, face still pretending to be disinterested.

"At least I didn't forget her."

"The past is the past."

"Not when she's standing right next to Serena!" Riley couldn't hold it in anymore. He stomped a foot and pointed straight at the girl who looked back at him with large eyes.

"What?" Serena looked left and right, holding a hand to her heart. "What are you talking about, Riley?"

"I mean that I, uh," Riley said, but his stern voice petered out halfway through. _Should I even finish that thought_? Dawn waltzing over and holding his hand pushed him to answer. "I can see Dawn. She's here, and wants her wish granted."

Calem and Serena just looked at him incredulously. Dawn smiled and did a small wave, knowing very well that it would have been a wasted effort.

"Have you been sleeping, Riley? Do you need to visit a psychiatrist?" Calem took a step away from him. _What nonsense is he spewing?_

"Just ask Ash and Moon. They believe me. We spent Friday playing _Pokemon_ just for Dawn. She says she needs you guys there, too." Riley lost every shred of confidence he had as he saw Calem's face of worry morph to one of unamusement, then to one of exasperation.

"And what would that prove? That those two are just as gullible as they always were? Enough with these childish games, Riley. A little more maturity would be appreciated ".

"No." Serena stepped between them, almost stepping on her diorama with a sharp high heel. "I want to hear what he has to say, and you're not going to cut him off, Calem."

Calem rolled his eyes and crossed his arms again. "Sure. Go ahead and fill your head with the delusions of a madman. It is none of my concern."

Riley wasn't sure whether or not he should explain his situation with Dawn. But, he knew that he had literally nothing left to lose from Calem, as his respect for Riley probably could not go any lower than it was in that moment. Serena looking at him with all seriousness was the last thing he needed to speak.

"Dawn… or, at least, her spirit came to see me last week. She said that she's stuck here until a wish of hers is granted. Apparently only I can see her, but she's standing right next to me." Riley looked up at Serena to see her looking intently at the space to his left.

Dawn tugged on his arm and whispered, "Tell 'em I say hi."

"She says hi, too," Riley added, realizing how ridiculous he must have looked. Calem just stared at him with a face that looked so punchable. "I'm not lying." Riley regretted saying that last part greatly. _What a great way to make a case for myself_.

"I'm _sure_ she does. Are you done telling your tall tales, Riley?"

"You don't believe me, do you?" Riley pathetically hung his head and _really_ wish he hadn't left his house that morning.

"No. Not in the least bit."

"Her project is amazing!" Dawn gushed, trying to change the subject.

"Dawn says that your project looks amazing." He turned to Serena, who looked like she was restraining herself from saying and doing anything. Her lip was being bit, and she was holding a shaking fist, but was blushing.

"Serena? Do you?" Riley was desperate. _I'm not insane. Dawn's right next to me. She is_...

"Come on, Serena! Calem's just pretending to be an adult again. I'm right here!" Dawn said with a smile and a wink.

"I… don't know what you're talking about," Serena said in monotone. She stared at her painted fingernails, which belonged to trembling hands. _No, Dawn… She just can't be. Riley just took it the hardest out of all of us. It's not like I don't miss her either, though. But I moved on. I know I did. But..._

They stood in silence as their worlds were on standby. But, Dawn refused to let it bring her down. She had initially frowned when Serena denied her existence, but plastered on a smile. _Someone has to be happy. Otherwise, things'll not be worth it anymore. There's no need to worry. Everything_ will _work out, I'm sure._ "Riley? Why don't we-"

Everyone jolted out if their stupor by the honking of a car horn. Looking up, a red car had pulled up, windows rolled up yet blasting a song on the radio whose bass could be felt by anyone in a twenty-foot radius. A boy was in the driver's seat while three girls were in the passenger's seats. Serena immediately perked up and checked her hair.

A window in the back seats rolled down. "Hey, Serena, we'll give you a lift to school!" said a girl with bleach-blonde hair. She pushed open the door in the back seat.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" asked another girl, this one with cotton-candy pink dyed hair.

"Uh, just taking a breather. Okay, move over," Serena replied, walking over to pick up her diorama.

"Yeah, just leave me behind. I don't mind or anything," Calem muttered, staring intently at the project.

"Oh, wait, like, does _he_ need to be here too?" said the last girl, who had a head of short hair dyed a gradient of colors from blue to purple. She pointed at Calem and looked at Serena with a face that screamed "really?"

 _Do people really go that extreme with dyeing their hair?_ Riley wondered before looking over at Dawn and retracted his thought. _Well, she never went over the top with it._ Riley recalled the first day he walked into high school, and almost ninety percent of the girls he saw had hair that was at least bleached a lighter hue.

"Yo, like, can one of you help me pick this up?" Serena called for one of her apparent friends for help. The box was rather unwieldy. No one stepped out of the car, however. "Um, Emily, Jessica? Someone?"

The girl with bleach-blonde hair closed the car door and scooted over, taking the empty seat she had just made for Serena. "Sorry! That's not fitting in here!"

"What? What do you mean?" Serena abandoned her diorama and put her hands on her hips. _Are you kidding me? You_ just _offered me a ride._

"See you first period! Have fun with the nerd! Let's go, Daniel," said one of the other girls. The driver honked the horn once before driving off, leaving behind a plume of noxious emissions and dust, as well as flinging a pebble into the air that landed in her project. It hit the yellow car and left a dent in it since it was made of still-soft paper mache.

"Hey!" Serena knelt down to try to even out the accident of her project. She could hear the passengers in the car laughing it up as they drove off.

"That's on you, not me." Calem bent down and grabbed two corners of the diorama.

Serena put the car down and bit her lip. _Damn it! This whole thing took me all of yesterday. What the hell is with them?_ She turned her phone on to check the time. She scoffed.

"Is it alright?" Riley brought himself to ask.

"Those are your _friends_? Not Moon or anyone better?" Dawn threw her arms up into the air.

"Fine. Let's just go, Calem." She had said his name so low, like she didn't want to at all. She picked up the other two corners of the box. "The train is gonna be here in a few minutes."

With that, they hoisted up the diorama together and started walking in sync to make it to the train station. On their way, they each had to pass by Riley to leave. Calem walked by first, and he didn't even look at the truant. Serena passed him by and gave him a sideways look. Riley nodded and sighed. "Have fun at school."

"Unlike a certain someone," Calem said without looking back. And before Riley knew it, they were out of sight. He just sighed and hung his head.

"Why did I even bother?" Riley hadn't felt so horrible in a long while. _This really takes the cake. First that thing with Ash and his jock friends, and now with Calem and Serena. What more could I_ not _want?_

"Riley? I'm sorry." She clung to his arm and he could feel a drop of water fall to his hand. Contrary to what he thought it was, it had actually started raining. But, shortly after, Dawn had started crying, like he thought.

They stood there quietly in the rain for a good two minutes before Riley dragged the both of them back to his house. "I'm not going out for a while."

She just nodded. Riley didn't even bother taking out his umbrella.

 **~X~**

Serena had started to gun it. _I put a whole lot of effort into this stupid extra credit thing. There's_ no _way I'm letting it melt in the rain._ "How about you run instead of making me drag your ass around?" She had started running in place, the stoplight changing to red on the pedestrian's side.

"You said it yourself: I don't _have_ to help you carry this thing." Calem really couldn't care less at the moment. _I already pocketed the actual essay part of the project, as well as emailed it just in case. It was her idea to do the extra credit diorama. Though, it was extra credit to write over seven pages on the essay, so..._ "I'm only here because we left our houses at the same time, anyway."

"You _always_ have to be so matter of fact, huh, _Neighbor_?" she spat, not even realizing she had let his old nickname of hers slip. She almost dropped the diorama when she slapped a hand to her mouth. _Damn it, Riley. What were you even getting around about?_

"The light changed."

Serena shoved the box into Calem's arms and shrugged off her cardigan. She threw it on top of her masterpiece hastily and yanked her two corners back. "Let's go. I don't wanna miss the stupid train on top of this because of _you_ , dumbass."

"You'll catch a cold." Serena resisted the urge to kick him in the shins. To her amazement, he actually picked up the pace. Together, they skittered away to the train station in silence.

They kept running, and boarded their train, making it by the skin of their teeth. Upon entering, Serena saw two empty seats at the end of a bench, with a rather large guy asleep and leaning to the right, where the vacant spaces were. She let go of the diorama and slid into the seat farthest away from the stranger, hugging the railing to stay away from him as far as possible. _Finally. My legs feel like they're gonna fall off. I hate running in the rain. Too slippery._

Calem moved to stand in front of her, practically dropping the diorama into Serena's lap. Touching his hoodie, he sighed and looked out the window above Serena's head. _Dry enough, surprisingly. On the other hand…_

Below him, Serena sat with a face that looked like she bit into an apple pie. That is to say, her least favorite dessert. It made her lips itch and stomach ache once she swallowed a bite. She was chewing her lips and hugging herself, shivering and looking at her diorama with extreme, unnecessary anger. _Damn this thing. It's not even worth it. Rivera will probably tear this thing apart, anyway._

Her hair was wet, droplets of water running down her face. Stray strands of hair were falling out of her bun, and water streaks ran through her makeup. She pulled out her phone and was greeted by a ragged reflection in the endless black screen. One of her hands reached into a pocket of her cardigan, still on the project, and fished out a handkerchief. She dabbed her face to dry it off, and left her other hand on her jacket. _Completely wet. Why the hell does he look like he's just fine?_

 _Her mom would probably tell my mother if she got sick. She even saw us walking off together. What a day today is_ , Calem thought. He took off his own hoodie and threw it onto Serena's shoulder, taking the diorama in his own hands and sliding into the seat beside her, leaning towards her to not disturb the sleeping stranger. Even if they wouldn't admit it, their old dynamic still existed.

"Don't touch me." Serena awkwardly shrugged on Calem's hoodie, which was a perfect fit, give or take. _Goddamnit. Just goddamnit._ "Don't tell _anyone_ about this."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Wouldn't have anyone to tell." She slid down on the cold, orange plastic under her, navy blue fabric rising to cover her nose. _Why does this smell like a library? And is that oil? Like, motor oil?_

Beside her, Calem pulled an umbrella out of his cross-body bag, dangling it lazily over the edge of his seat. He leaned harder onto her, the sleeping stranger conforming to the push of the train and touching Calem's arm. _He smells like a zoo._

"Couldn't have pulled that out earlier?" Serena pressed harder onto the metal bar beside her as Calem was practically using her as a cushion. She elbowed him harshly. "Off."

"Can't exactly help it, now can I?" He twitched his head to the left. Serena let her hair down, half of it flipping onto the nerd and splashing water onto his face and shirt. "Just excellent."

She pulled her cardigan off the diorama and threw it at his face, sliding the box back onto her lap. "Feel free to wear that out of the train."

"Yes, this is _exactly_ what I wanted."

"Shut it."

The rest of the ride was quiet. Well, as quiet as a half-hour ride on a rickety old train could have been. The sleeping stranger never stirred, nor did he get off the train. Calem and Serena uncomfortably had their heads pressed together the whole ride, both refusing to get up for the principle of "earning" a seat on public transit (although the only thing either did was take an empty seat).

The familiar _ding-dong_ and the opening of the sliding doors were a godsend. Serena had lost feeling in her legs from crossing them for so long to avoid touching Calem as much as she could. She jumped up and with all her might hoisted her diorama up with her. _What the hell was I thinking? This thing isn't even that heavy_.

In truth, the only reason she felt that way was because her adrenaline was up, having been raised by Riley's words from earlier and the spat she had with Calem. It didn't go down at all; if anything, it heightened from her fear of being seen in such close proximity to Calem in public.

She walked out of the train with her head held high and wobbly legs. Once she climbed the stairs and reached the surface, she was pelted by heavy rain drops _._ A stray drop landed straight on her eye, causing her to blink rapidly and just _know_ that the rest of her day wasn't going to go well.

Calem reluctantly jogged to catch up with her, plain black umbrella open and holding her sopping wet jacket in the other hand. For the first time in a long while, he did a rather gentlemanly thing: he held the umbrella over her, and her only. He was getting soaked, yes, but he didn't say anything. _Ran out of snarky remarks?_ Serena refused to look at him the whole trek. He didn't even bother trying to instigate a conversation.

Once they reached and entered their school, they split, once again total strangers to each other. Or at least acting like it. Serena had shoved the diorama into his arms and left him to climb up six flights of stairs to the third floor to drop their project off at their English room.

The girl left to meet up with the so-called friends that left her in the dust earlier that morning and damaged part of her project, immediately engaging in gossip about their and their classmates' recent weekend escapades. The boy left to be a good student and not involve himself with the social nightmare that was high school. He didn't let the fact that he was soaked head-to-toe bother him. _Why have we gotten paired up for_ every _single project together so far this year?_

 **~X~**

Saturday rolled over like it was nothing. The school week was rather fleeting, for most people, that is. Monday was a slog, Tuesday was slightly better, Wednesday was halfway done, Thursday was almost Friday, and Friday had the weekend after it. After the nightmare that was Monday morning for everyone, a calm was finally reached.

The whole week, Riley and Dawn stayed home and just played each of their respective games, not leaving the house for any reason. Ash spent time hanging out with his rather large group of friends he made in high school. Moon wasted most of her time at home "studying" for the SATs, which mostly consisted of her staring at an open book for five minutes, then looking up and watching TV for a half hour in a loop. Calem had his nose stuck in several books throughout the week, both in and outside of school.

And Serena? Her week went the slowest. In addition to her having an eight-to-four school schedule, her extracurricular and outside activities were busy. For the first time in many years, Mondays _and_ Fridays, _two_ days, became the meeting times for the Astronomy Club (a club she was a part of for some reason that she forgot). Wednesday was Art Club, which she was a secretly proud member of. Tuesday, her mother dragged her off to meet with some marathon group she was a part of that decided to have a meet-and-greet with their children on a _school_ day (in which she was the only teenager). Thursday usually was when the track team met up, but it had yet to start in the year, so it was the only weekday that provided her with some relief that week until she got used to the cycle of school once more.

So, when Saturday rolled around, you would bet your ass that she would have spent it doing absolutely nothing. Too bad she had a list of medical appointments to attend to. And the fact that her phone was being blown up by her friends was no help.

 _y u not hang out w/ us dis week_

Serena held her face in her hands as she read the text that she just received from a friend at nine in the morning. _Didn't spell out the first two words, first "word" not capitalized, abbreviated "with" when it was probably more effort to type the forward slash instead of "ith", bad grammar, misspelling "this", and no punctuation. What the hell? I'm no English major, nor am I Calem, but damn. I've talked about this to them before, even._

 _I was busy_ , she texted.

Serena put her phone down and started filling her purse. _Insurance cards, ID, appointment card_. Not a half-minute later, her phone buzzed again.

 _y so angry_

 _Again, same flaws again the first one_. Serena scowled at her phone, of all things. The latest text was sent by a different girl. _Don't butt in, Nancy. Wait, angry? Why the hell would she think that? I'm annoyed, but not angry._

 _lol serna sux at txting_

"What are you talking about, Jessica?" Serena almost tossed her phone onto her bed in shock. _My name's spelled wrong, even._ It started ringing, and she recognized the caller immediately, answering in an instant. "Emily, what's going on?"

"What's going on is that you so flaky, Sissy," said the voice on the other line. Serena cringed at the nickname her friends gave her, not even bothering to comment on the odd grammer. "We're going to the mall today. Let's go. We're pulling up to your place in a minute."

"What?"

"Yeah, come on!" another voice said.

"Guys, wait." _Nice, put me on speaker without me knowing, why don't you? Oh, wait, you did._ Serena wasn't sure why she was being so snappy, but she did know that she wasn't in the mood. "I have a bunch of doctor's appointments today."

"Suuuure you do."

"You bailed on us all week, Sissy. You're coming with us!"

"Are you still salty about Monday? We said sorry! Jeez!"

"It's not that. Like I said, I need to see, like, three doctors today," Serena said. _Why can't they understand that?_

"Then, like, reschedule them!"

 _You're kidding me. The only reason I have so many appointments today is_ because _I rescheduled them due to your antics._ "I can't. My mom is gonna drive me, anyway."

"Wow, you're _so_ lame, Sissy. You got me mad tight, yo."

 _What does that mean? Speak English._ A knock at the door was Serena's saving grace. Her mom popped her head in and gave her a look to hurry up. _Heh, Mom's name is Grace._ "I have to go. See you in school Monday." She hung up before the other line could speak. _They're supposed to be my friends, right? Why are they acting like that?_

"Serena, let's go. Who knows how many people will be at the doctor's office when we get there."

"Fine."

"You don't have to have an attitude."

"Fine." Serena walked out of her room without looking at her mother, still internally seething about her friends.

 _Kids these days. Why has gotten into her? She was so different back then._ "Just get in the car."

They drove out to some doctor's office that was off the beaten path. Located in a rather ghost town-like neighborhood, Serena felt paranoid. In the passenger's seat, she kept looking out the window, darting her eyes back and forth. "Hey, Mom?" Her tone was just _too_ sickly sweet and innocent.

"We're not going home until you get everything done today."

 _Damn it._ Serena flicked her seatbelt, not wanting to get out of the car. Her mother, Grace, unlocked the doors and got out. She ended up pulling open the door on Serena's side and dragging her daughter out.

"Do you think you could have put something a little _less_ revealing on today?" Grace looked her daughter down for the first time that day. Her outfit was no more different than her Monday one. "It's warm, but not _that_ warm."

"Let's just hurry up." They walked together into the building, greeted by unnecessary heat blasted in their faces. Serena regretted wearing so much makeup when she wasn't even going today see anyone important.

After ten minutes of waiting and filling out some form, Serena and Grace met with the doctor. "Hello, Serena, how are you doing?" the doctor whose name Serena couldn't bother remembering asked her.

"We're here for the physical checkup and for a couple of vaccinations that her school wants her to have," Grace said as she flipped through some magazine from a rack that was probably years old already.

And, as if on cue, Serena's stomach growled. _Ugh, I didn't even eat dinner last night. I hate fasting for these stupid physicals._

"Okay, then, let's get started." she chuckled and held a stethoscope to Serena's chest. "Breath in."

After completing the simple things, Serena felt a pit in her stomach. The doctor had whipped out three long needles that Serena could have sworn glinted when they were held up. "Hoo, boy." The doctor swabbed Serena's elbow and tied a rubber band to her right arm.

"I'm going to draw your blood first, okay?" And without any more warning, she had plunged the needle into the young girl's elbow bend.

"Don't look at the needle, dear!" Grace smiled smugly, hidden by the magazine in her hands.

The doctor proceeded to poke at Serena's arm. The girl looked down and saw an empty vial leading to the needle in her elbow. "Uh… W-what's happening?"

"Your vein is too thin here. Let me try another one." The doctor slid the needle out and stuck a bandage on the hole it made. "Which arm do you want to try it on?"

 _What kind of question is that? That actually fucking hurt_ "My _right_ arm again?" She resisted the urge to shout it.

"Okay." She picked Serena's arm up and tapped at the vein on the top of her hand. After prepping it, the needle was inserted once more.

 _This is going to be a_ long _day._ And indeed it was, as that was the first stop of three that Serena had to make that day. After having her blood drawn, the last thing she needed was two vaccines.

"My right arm, _again_ , please," she requested. _Might as well just completely ruin this one today._

Both shots were administered into the same arm at the same place. It would have been painless, had the doctor not went ahead and inserted the needles in at a weird angle, causing it to bleed much more than it needed to. It started aching the minute the bandage was slapped onto it. _I can't feel my arm anymore._

And with that, the Laniers were sent off, Serena with not even a shitty sugar-free lollipop that kids usually got when they received vaccines. Her blood sugar was at a all time low.

"Hey, Memmy?" She purposely used a leading, immature tone, pronouncing "mommy" wrong with intent. "Can we stop and eat?" _And not make me want to regret existing?_

"No. If we go now, we'll _just_ make it for your new eye doctor's appointment."

"Great." And off they went. It was a five minute ride of Serena groaning about her poor arm and her mother humming along to some song on the radio that her daughter couldn't care less about.

"Catherine came here last week with Calem. We really should have gone together, y'know?"

Serena stiffened. "No. No, I don't know."

They made it there unharmed, and after spending an hour in the waiting room, Serena finally went in to see the eye doctor. _I'm so sick of waiting._

"So, what brings you here?" The doctor rolled a chair with wheels on the base over to Serena.

"A new prescription," Grace answered.

"So, I notice that you don't wear your glasses or contacts. Is there a reason, Serena?"

"She's just a picky teenager right now."

Serena felt like she gained absolutely nothing out of that experience than strained eyes and a bored mind. In her opinion, the last thing the doctor did was the worst: dilating her eyes. The eye drops that were administered for it sucked as well, in her opinion. Serena couldn't stand things touching inside her eyes. Then, flashing bright light there, which caused the girl to see pink for a good few minutes. _I can't focus. Anything too far or too close is just warping. And why does it all look pink, of all colors?_ That led to another half hour of waiting for no reason other than to annoy the patients.

After leaving the building, Grace pushed Serena's back. "You know where to go for the orthodontist, right?" Serena crossed her arms and nodded her head. "Good, then go ahead on your own. I need to go get this car tuned up."

"You're just going to leave me to my own devices? My eyes are on fire!"

"Don't be a drama queen. Huh, you never talk like that around your friends."

"If I end up tripping, I'm getting a new phone."

"If retract my statement." With this, Grace drove off into the distance.

With a huff, Serena walked off towards her orthodontist's. Within a large building filled with medical offices a little off the main road, after taking the elevator up a couple of floors, the girl found herself in front of a modern looking office called "Braces World". She licked her teeth, feeling foreign plastic wedged in between two of them. _At least these are coming out today._ The heat was blasting there as well, which was severely unnecessary since the autumn cool had yet to come. Serena could feel and layer of sweat forming on all of her exposed skin. _Why did I wear this out?_

"Hello, Serena!" the receptionist greeted her. Said girl nodded and handed in her appointment card. "Go brush," she said, pointing to a nearby sink station exclusively for brushing teeth.

Serena complied and gently brushed her teeth with a cheap provided toothbrush. _I really don't want this. "The insurance will cover this all, go get it done" my ass, Mom._ In the background, Serena could hear a crying kid. _That does wonders for my will to be here._

After brushing, Serena sat in the waiting room for another ten minutes before having her name called. She dragged her feet into the actual dental work room, was handed a manilla folder with her name on it, and was forced to _wait_ on a bench again. _I'm gonna scream if I have to wait any longer. This is bullshit._

Serena was snapped out of her internal rant by a whisper. Someone plopped down. Next to her, and a raspy voice sounded off in her ear. "Hey… Serena!"

She instantly jolted, stiffening her body and scooting to the very edge of the bench she was on. _Who the hell is this? Why do they know my name? It's in such small text on this folder; they'd have to really deliberately look for it, and wanted it. What is this?_

The person that the low voice belonged to scooted closer to Serena, their shoulders and legs touching; whoever they were, they were warm, sweaty, and acting _way_ too familiar. This made Serena realize that she had started sticking to the chair with her own sweaty self. _Disgusting._ They gave a firm tap on her shoulder, making Serena bite her lip to suppress a startled scream. They breathed again into her ear, "Serena!"

 _Is this karma for letting Calem sit next to that sleeping dude on Monday? He did it on his own free will._ The whirring of the pneumatic drills from some dental assistant cleaning someone's teeth ceased to sound off for Serena. The crying of children who couldn't sit still for longer than a minute stopped ringing. The parent at the front counter yelling about the cost of her kid's last appointment was mute. _Someone help me._

"Please, stay away. I would rather not-"

"But, Serena!"

"No, no, stay awaaay! Today has been horrible," Serena cried. She was hysterical, yet was able to curb herself to whisper-shouting. "Don't-"

"Serena!" The person shook her shoulders, making the girl open her eyes and look to her left. And there, sitting next to her was the slack-jawed, rough-around-the-edges Moon Lukin.

"-touch me, I said that - Oh… It's you."

"You alright? I'm sorry!" Moon immediately slid across to the other side of the bench, holding up both hands as a surrender, laughing uncomfortably.

"No, no, _I'm_ sorry. Wow, I freaked out for no reason."

"Yeah, you've said it before." Moon hid a chuckle. Serena snorted at this.

"So…" Serena trailed off. _Shit. I think this is_ worse _than a complete creep string next to me. What the hell do I say? I haven't seen her in years._ Before she could freak out even more, she was engulfed in a hug.

"It's been _forever_ , Serena!"

After a few seconds of freezing, Serena did what she thought was right: hugging back. "Y-yeah… it has been, huh? You've… stayed the same."

Giving Moon a once-over, still hugging, she noticed that it was as if time had not touched Moon. Well, at least for several places, namely her face and radiance. _Same haircut, same clothes, same attitude, same laugh… same Moon._

"Huh? Oh, yeah, ha ha. I mean, you, oh… changed?" _Wow, would she have been unrecognizable if I didn't know her for all those years._ She relaxed her embrace and let her arms drop, prompting Serena to yelp.

"Ow!" She slapped a hand above her arm, just above her elbow and below her shoulder. _Yep, sore and going to hurt tomorrow._

"You alright?" Moon visibly started panicking. She kept gesturing with her hands something that probably no one could ever understand. She stopped moving and gave a defeated, awkward laugh.

"No, it's not you. I just got two shots there. And my blood drained. Out of two holes. And-"

A snicker. Moon's snicker.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny… Well, actually…" Serena trailed off, not wanting to finish her thought. _Goddamnit, Moon. That's not funny. But it is. Wait, forget that. Are we…?_ "Are we sitting in front of the room where they take x-rays?"

"Yup." Moon looked like she didn't care at all. _I'm used to it._

"Uh, I find so many things wrong with that response. How jaded are you to react like that?"

"I've been coming here for two years."

"Yikes." Moon just nodded.

"Oh." Moon situated herself right in front of Serena. She grasped both her shoulders and stared straight into the older girl's blue eyes. She lifted a hand to point at Serena's face. "You got crack eyes."

Serena almost fell off the bench. _Moon! What the hell? I thought you were going to say something important._ She could not stop the smile creeping onto her face. "What? How do you know what that looks like?"

"I dunno."

A wink and a smile later, it was as if they never drifted away from each other. Laughing like they used to, everything else around them melting into the background as they became each other's main focus.

"Don't even. My eyes got dilated, and my head is pounding."

"Shots, dilated eyes, braces? What next?"

"I dunno. But, I'm done for today after this. What are you doing here, anyway?"

Moon gave a smile with parted lips, showing off her white teeth with metal brackets on each one missing the wires that connected them. But, there was something _very_ distracting from her beautiful grin, both in her mouth and on her cheek. "Uh, Moon, you got a little something… everywhere."

Moon slapped both hands on top of her mouth. "There's yellow gunk everywhere, isn't there?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah. They took those mold things of your teeth?"

"Yeah. It sucked." She dropped her hands and rubbed a couple of fingers on a path of yellow material that she felt on her chin. "It took them, like, three tries to work. I almost choked on it, but the lady wouldn't let me take a minute to breath. Anyway, what brings you here?"

Serena took out a handkerchief from her bag and started wiping at Moon's face. She opened her mouth to reveal plastic bits shoved on either side of all of her second-to-last molars. "Gonna get my own set today. Does it hurt?"

"For, like, the first few days. The first month is the _worst_ , though. Then, you'll get used to it and it'll stop hurting. The same goes for all of your visits. At least, that's how it goes for me. But, the caps can suck a fat one."

A large gasp came from Serena. "Moon, language!" She slapped a hand to her face melodramatically.

"I mean it! Just look, there're these weird sharp bits of fake metal poking out from the back of my caps." Moon opened her mouth and pointed at the large hooks on her braces. "Hitches on my tongue every time I move it."

"Ouch." Serena tilted Moon's head and kept rubbing the yellow junk off of the younger girl's face. "Cry me a river."

"Okay. Wah, wah," Moon had said in monotone for comedic effect.

An unusually pretty assistant came over to the waiting bench and caught the two girls in a rather compromising position. _Why are all the assistants here super beautiful? Trying to make me feel bad?_ Serena thought as she zoned out.

Once the lady stopped in front of them, the two girls froze awkwardly. Serena dropped her hands and handkerchief from Moon's face, and Moon stopped talking, focusing on the floor. Both of them started sweating harder than they just were, not just due to the heat.

"Moon, go brush your teeth again. Get that stuff all out of your mouth. And… Serena, come, this chair," the assistant said after picking up Serena's manilla folder. Moon ran off to the sink station with a quick wave, and Serena got up and slid into a reclinable chair. She felt her skin sticking to it immediately, wishing even harder that she wore longer clothes.

The assistant pressed a button, causing Serena's chair to recline from a 100-degree angle to a 180-degree one. She walked away and another assistant, as well as the actual orthodontist took her place. The assistant took out the purple plastic in her teeth and put a weird plastic device in Serena's mouth that rolled her lips back and exposed her teeth as long as it was in. The orthodontist hovered over her and said, "I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

After a short while of more _waiting_ , Serena saw Moon come back in and take the chair next to her. They gave each other thumbs-ups. Then, their views of each other got blocked by the orthodontist.

 _Not going to strike up conversation now._ She pulled her phone out and switched her camera on, almost dropping it on her face when she saw what was on the screen. _What the fuck? I look horrible!_ Well, to give her a little credit, next to no one would look halfway decent wearing that thing.

She slipped her phone away and covered her face with her hands. _Why? What did I do to deserve this? I'm even more hideous!_

"Agh!" Moon sounded off from her left. Serena looked over to see a huge wire being twisted around a bracket in Moon's mouth by an assistant. Moon was lifting her body off the chair, trying to stop herself from screaming in pain.

"Does it hurt?" the assistant asked.

"Yesh," Moon slurred out.

"Good. It's working." The assistant patted her head and picked up another large wire.

"Come off it," Moon said through loud breaths.

"Moon? You okay? Buuuddy?" Serena called out. It was obvious that she wasn't that concerned.

Moon lifted one of her hands, which was grabbing the armrest of her chair, and discreetly flipped her the bird. "Suck it."

Serena bit her lips to prevent a huge smile from spreading on her face, suppressing a laugh. Moon looked with wide eyes at Serena, who forgot that her lips were peeled back, an unflattering look. She pointed at Serena's face and snorted. Now it was Serena's turn to flip the bird. _Just like… old times_.

The sound of wheels rolling along tile floor made Serena turn her head. "Okay, Serena, let's get started," the orthodontist said, passing her a pair of orange tinted goggles.

 _Great. Let's just get this over with. I could fall asleep right about now._

"Grr..."

 _Or I could keep listening to Moon groan in pain. That's an option for sure._

For the next half hour, Serena was biting on a tube sucking any and all liquid in her mouth as a dental assistant held a stick shining light to her teeth to get her braces brackets to stay on while the orthodontist just stood around watching it. Her guess was that it was ultraviolet light, and she did _not_ want to think about the possible consequences of having electromagnetic waves being shot directly into her mouth. This was still ongoing by the time Moon had gotten up.

Moon finished her business and stood up from her chair with a small plastic baggie of rubber bands in her hand. She lingered before Serena's chair and watched as the girl showed signs of both falling asleep and breaking the tube she was biting on in one chomp. She stepped to the side of the orthodontist and spoke up after much hesitation. "I'll wait for you outside, Serena."

Serena held a thumbs-up and nodded, feeling the suction tube slip and hitch on her lip. _Good God, it's like my jaw is going to fall off._

"You're friends with that girl?" the orthodontist asked. He readjusted the air tube.

 _Don't even try to strike up small talk, sir. Please._ She nodded again. _This is so weird._

"Good for you and her. She acts so weird sometimes, and always comes in alone. I wondered if she had friends at all!" He nudged the assistant, prompting a laugh. Several other women working chuckled from various positions in the room.

 _Shut up. How old are you? Laughing at a kid, I mean, Moon. Of all people? That's messed up._ Serena narrowed her eyes and took hold of the air tube, taking it out of her mouth and sitting up.

"You're not done yet," the assisted said, putting a hand on her shoulder and trying to push her down.

"Moon is fine the way she is. _Yes_ , I'm her friend." It was hard to talk with her lips forced open, but she did it. She bit the tube again and lied back down, crossing her arms.

"Okay, then." The orthodontist patted her shoulder in good jest, but Serena felt otherwise. His action and words were so stiff, it was like he was just saying that to not lose her as a customer.

Then, some random kid, who could be no older than ten years old, cried out from three chairs down. "I'm bored!" Her voice was obnoxious.

 _Why the hell do you need braces right now, anyway, kid? And if you're not that young, why the hell do you look it? I feel like a giant_. Serena looked around the room and noticed that she was the oldest patient by a landslide.

Serena let her eyes dart to the man who retracted his hand from her. He walked away to the kid, leaving Serena to "enjoy" more radiation in her mouth. She kept her eyes and ears set on them the whole time. _What? Not gonna chastise her about being a brat?_

"Okay, let's see what we have today," the orthodontist said, bringing down a light to see inside the whining kid's mouth. He picked up a small mirror tool to look around at the situation she had going on. "Oh, no, no, no. You have to brush better, okay? Come on, I _know_ you can do better."

 _Sound so reassuring and comforting right now. Why didn't you say the same thing the same way to Moon?_ She recalled hearing a conversation over the sound of saliva being vacuumed out of her mouth not ten minutes ago.

"Brush better. You're going to get diseases and infections like that."

"I knooow," Moon had whispered and refused to make eye contact with him. Not like she had to begin with. Serena could have sworn she saw Moon start digging her fingernails into her forearm, but _knew_ that she was just trying her best not to cry. _I_ do _, it's just that I can't exactly reach there with my braces in the way._

 _Yeah, use scare tactics on her but coddle some bratty kid over there. Totally fair,_ good _sir. Just because we're not some vulnerable looking kids that you think it's okay to make us feel alienated like that?_ Serena refused to give him the benefit of doubt.

He came back soon after and just stood above her, arms crossed with a stoic face. "Let's just finish this, put the wires in, and let her go." He talked over her to his assistant. "See you next time." He was talking _at_ her, not _to_ her. He didn't even look at her.

Serena looked out to the waiting room to see the man walk out and greet a trio of kids. He squatted down, waved at them, and talked _to_ them. Serena was bitter.

 _What? Am I too much for people like you? Or not enough? Too ugly? Not pretty enough? Too big? Not innocent-looking enough? Too different? Not likeable enough? What do you want? Everyone always looks at me like I'm some walking freakshow! Even Emily and them all sometimes. I'm still_ not _an adult yet. What does anybody want? I'm not some alien._ Suppressed anger from an undefined period of time exploded in her head. The day just had too much stress for her to handle at once.

Another half hour passed until Serena's mouth was decked out. Once her maw was cleared out, she was all set to leave. _Christ, it's been a while. My legs are asleep. Shit, is Moon actually waiting for me out there?_

Serena stepped to the portion of the receptionist's desk in the workspace, tapping her foot as she waited for the receptionist to attend to her. "Okay, Serena, why don't you come back on… November 25? It's a Saturday."

"Sure, sure. Wait, uh, actually… Is that the same day that Moon will be back?"

"Moon? The girl that left a while ago?"

"Yeah."

"Well…" Sharon checked the computer in front of her. She then looked up to the girl in front of her, who had a scowl visible. "It is. Do you want the same time as her?"

"If you will, please." Serena swiped her appointment card back and shoved it in her purse. She stalked outside the office and to the open waiting space for the pair of elevators in the building. There, she saw Moon leaning against the edge of the building, practically melting into the gray wall, sliding her thumb across her phone, her tongue slightly stuck out. "Uh, hey…"

"Serena! Howzit feel?" She slid her phone into her small cross-body bag, immediately perking up.

The taller girl ran her tongue across her teeth, feeling the foreign objects on her teeth that would stay there for another year or so. "Pretty bad. You? I mean, you've been waiting for a while. You didn't _have_ to for me…"

"No, no, it's nothin'! Really! I'm used to it." Moon waved both her hands in front of her chest. A smile. "Wanna… get lunch or something?"

 _My mouth, uh, aches, Moon. But, how can I say no?_ "Yeah, why don't we?"

"Don't worry! There's a cafe across the street with sweet cakes that I think'll meet your standards."

"Aren't we supposed to avoid sugar and coffee?"

"Eh, let's throw caution to the wind. I strictly followed that for a year and a half, and regretted it _badly_. No soda, chips, juice, pizza, whatever. I gave up and gave in, and boy do I like being bad. I mean, how can it be wrong when it feels right?" Moon put a hand to her forehead in dramatic flourish. Serena pushed her lightly and they shared a laugh.

"Alright, then. But, I don't feel like biting anything right now."

"Want me to-"

"Don't even, Moon." Serena pointed at her accusingly, _knowing_ how she was going to end that. Another chuckle came from the both of them.

A ding sounded off, and the both of them stepped into an empty elevator. After pressing the button for the first floor, Serena had to say, "Man, that dentist is a jerk, huh? Plays favorites or something like that?"

Moon stared at a corner of the elevator. "Mmm… I guess. I don't really care, though. I see him every, like, two or three months, so I try to purge each visit from my mind. Doesn't work, though."

"He sure isn't welcoming. At least, not to _not_ kids, huh?"

"Sure. Yeah."

"I'm not gonna get any more than that out of you if I keep asking you about them, huh?"

"Sure. Yeah." They shared a look and burst out laughing again. After exiting the elevator and the building, they crossed the street to enter a small cafe that reeked of sugar and coffee. Serena had a death grip on Moon's forearm since she was walking forwards with her eyes shut, still too sensitive from the dilation. Moon led them inside and sat at a booth off to the corner of the cafe, not even waiting for a hostess to greet them.

"Moon? Can you, uh, do that?"

"Huh? Don't worry about it I work here."

"'Moon' and 'working' aren't exactly words that go together." _How much as she changed since the last time I saw her?_

"Yeah, well, stuff happened." _And I wish it didn't._

A minute later, a familiar blonde girl came to the table in the cafe's uniform, simply consisting of a light purple shirt with the words "Cafe Fairy" in pink font and a pastel-colored skirt, holding a notepad. "Hello, what can I get for you today? Oh, hello, Moon!"

"Hey, Lillie," Moon awkwardly breathed out. _Wasn't expecting her! Wasn't she supposed to be hanging out with Luna? Oh, wait, never mind. If she was, I would have been put on shift._

 _Lillie? Oh, one of her sister's friends, if I remember. Only to have seen her, like, thrice, though._ Serena mumbled, "Hello."

Lillie smiled warmly and put a hand on Moon's shoulder. "Tutoring again, tonight?"

"Yeah," Moon said pathetically, reluctantly. _Goddamnit, I hate studying, and even Lillie being my tutor isn't going to help. No matter how nice and smart she is._ "Hot chocolate, please."

"Uh, coffee with sugar and milk. And…" Serena trailed off, peering at the menu stuck to the table with a scrutinizing gaze. The pictures of vibrant, colorful, delicious-looking cakes made her hungry, but roll her eyes. _These pictures are of plastic, aren't they? Well, the actual things might taste better than they actually look. Moon said they taste alright._ "One slice each of tiramisu, chocolate cake, strawberry shortcake, and raspberry cheesecake."

Lillie nodded her head as she intently scribbled on her notepad. "Okay, coming up!" She walked off with a wave.

"Same old, same old, huh?" Serena gave her a look. Moon laughed. "I meant, still finicky about sweets, huh? Well, I assure you, they're pretty good."

" _Pretty_ good, or _amazing_? There's a huge difference."

"I'll take that to mean you still bake lots?" A cheesy smile was on her face, holding her head up with both hands with elbows on the table. Moon fluttered her eyelashes for extra effect. Serena pushed her arms off the table, causing Moon to dip her head and lose her collection.

"Well…" Serena clammed up. _Maybe I said a little too much._ "Uh, on occasion."

"Not gonna, uh, watch your… calories, or whatever?"

Serena tapped the table, shrugging. "Not today, at least. Haven't eaten in so long." A more important issue tugged at her mind, something, or rather, a lot of things that Riley had said to her on Monday since she wasn't under any major stress anymore. She looked up, straight into Moon's eyes. "Hey, uh, did you and Riley… talk lately?"

"Oh, well, yeah, actually. We hung out last Friday. Ash was there, too!"

 _Ash… haven't heard that name in a while._ She zoned out for a few seconds as she thought this. "Um, yeah, did he say anything? Anything… odd?"

"No...?"

"I meant"- Serena grabbed the edges of the table, knuckles whitening-"something about… Dawn?"

Moon smiled again, breaking into a short giggle. "Y-yeah, he did. Dawn… I talked to her, actually."

 _Of course you did_ , Serena thought, sinking down into her chair. _Dawn… Is_ this _karma, or is she coming back after all these years to haunt me?!_

* * *

Author's note: Well… this happened. Later than I wanted it to be, but here it is. So… yeah. The Serena half of the chapter was kind of based off my experience. I went through what she did on the Saturday that I typed this, so excuse me if the lingo was a bit off, or the experience was a bit fleeting.

Otherwise, thank you for reading, and until next time.

Thank you Mythgirl for reviewing, as always. You're too kind to me.


	7. Heavy Heart

"Lemme guess: something about a wish?"

"Yeah, how'd ya guess?"

"Call it luck."

"I don't get it."

Serena lightly snorted. _Well, I'm not actually_ lying _so much as being cryptic._ "Me neither," she simply said.

Lillie swung by shortly after this, with two cups of dark liquid balanced on plates, one on each hand. She slid them onto the table in front of their respective orderers. "I'll bring your cakes in a minute." Then, she was gone again.

"A wish," Serena said, picking up a spoon and stirring her steaming coffee. "What is he doing? Is he _okay_?"

Moon picked up her cocoa without thinking, taking a sip of the scaling liquid only to almost drop the cup as a response. She fanned her tongue before acting as if it hadn't happened. "You mean Riley?"

"Yeah, I mean, Monday was just… kinda crazy. I saw him that morning, and he was lying down on the steps to that old church. You…" Serena hesitated finishing her sentence. "You remember, right? The one that we used to…"

"Mmm, I do. Wait, lying down? And Monday?" One of her eyebrows raised.

"It almost felt surreal, y'know? It's just been so long, and I only recognized him because he looks the same as back then. And because Calem pointed it out. And, he looked really frazzled and scared."

"Calem?" Moon was not contributing to the conversation vocally enough, but she was fine with it. It didn't help that her head was somewhere else, either. _What's Serena going on about?_

Serena groaned and rubbed her temples. "Yeah, we were carrying a project together. That's not the point though, Moon, I-"

"Why'd you choose him as your partner? Are you two still-"

"No, nothing is going on between us. It just so happens that we have been stuck in multiple of the same classes this year, all with teachers that thought it would be an _excellent_ idea to pair us up for the first project of the quarter. Anyway-"

"Yikes. Suck to be-"

"Moon, you're kinda killing the mood here!" Serena lightly slammed a fist on the table. She got a sheepish smile and a hand motion to continue in response.

"As I was saying, uh… I actually don't know what I was trying to say. It was just something I never expected would happen. Riley… I thought he locked himself in his room for forever or something."

"Well, you're wrong!" Moon shook both of her hands in the air and giggled.

"I, uh, I know, Moon, thank you. But, what was he talking about? What wish? What about… Dawn?" It felt so taboo to just say that name. Moon's face instantly turned solemn.

Once more, Lillie came over, balancing three plates on one forearm and another in the hand of her free arm. "Here you are, uh… ma'am? I'm so sorry; I don't know your name. I'm Lillie."

"So I've heard. Serena." They shook hands awkwardly, and Serena could guess as to why, with, give or take, approximately ninety-five percent accuracy.

 _She and those other two boys always hung out with Moon's sister in her room, while the six of us always hung out in Moon's room right across the hall when we were there. Who knows how many times she saw us, me, and never knew our names. The… best friends of her best friend's sister. If I recall, she and Moon also hung out along with Luna sometimes. So, yeah, pretty awkward._

"So, you two are friends. I don't recall your face from the hallways," Lillie said, casually sliding into the small space to Moon's right. Moon scooted over to make room and then some.

"We go to different schools," Serena said, tasting some of her coffee. _Blech, bitter_. _Did they even put sugar in this back there?!_ She grabbed a sugar packet set off to the side of the table and emptied every last crystal into her drink.

"Oh, which one?"

"High Horizon." Another taste, and it was _still_ too bitter. One more sugar packet went in to the brown concoction. _Still not sweet enough. Hate bitter. Need sweeter. Dawn liked sweeter…_

"Oh! That's a specialized one a while away, right? You have to pass a really hard entrance exam to get in. I almost made it," Lillie said, trying to make friends with Moon's. "Missed it by a _slim_ margin. Just half a percent. Too bad they don't round it up."

"Well, it's a really hard school, so I'm glad you didn't get in." The two light-haired girls at the table stared at Moon. _Bad choice of words, Moon_ , she internally chastised herself. "I-I meant that, uh, so you don't get stressed and all that! Besides, Luna and Hau have cried over not being in the same classes as you and each other. Imagine what if you guys didn't go to the same school!"

 _You're not including yourself, there, Moon. She and those other two boys are just as much your friends as they are your sister's. I know. Have a little more confidence_ , Serena thought, staring at the smooth surface of her coffee. _Jesus, it's still bitter._

"Yes, I agree. I don't think I could handle the stress." Lillie giggled and tilted her head. "So, you must be very smart to get in there, Serena. What program are you in?"

 _Smart… yeah._ "I got a ninety-three on the entrance exam." _Why am I bragging? Stop doing that. You'll turn into Calem. Wait, what did I just…?_ "I'm in the art program."

"What'd Calem get?" Moon immediately asked, rubbing her hands together deviously. _Oh. Shit. Why did I say that?_

"Oh, him?" Serena sipped her coffee. It was still bitter, but she knew that no matter how much sugar she poured into it, it wouldn't taste any better. She sucked it up and gripped the cup handle tightly. "I don't know. Never to have told me."

"Oh. Uh… I'm pretty sure you scored higher than him, though. Like always." Another one of Moon's fake smiles. But, this one had good intent, and Serena could feel it.

"Yeah, sure." She clenched her jaw, which was still aching from earlier, and gulped down some of her drink.

"So you draw?" Lillie picked up the mood and changed the topic. She had that voice that was too sweet not to answer.

"I used to, I guess. Well, I kinda _have_ to since I'm in the program. But, I don't really do it outside of school, though. It's not… that _fun_ anymore."

 _But, you're amazing at it, Serena. Well, I guess in shouldn't be one to say that. I kinda feel the same way about dance…_ "She's really good." Moon put a hand over Serena's. "I know she is."

"Well, I would love to see something of yours. Even if it was just for school!" Lillie struck again with that voice of hers.

 _Where do you find people like this, Moon?_ Serena couldn't believe how nice and inviting Moon's friend was. "Uh, I _think_ I have a picture of an assignment in my phone from sophomore year that I had to email."

Serena threw her phone onto the table and swiped the screen several times, turned to the two on the other side. She opened her photo gallery, which revealed only one picture stored in it. _I don't even remember what it was. I forgot about it since I don't even take pictures with the camera, only with that whatever social media thing I have on here because of Emily and them. Chapsnatch? Whoa, I definitely think that's the wrong name. I don't care enough to remember its name, even if I see it like a hundred times a day._

 _No pictures of people or those selfie things on it?_ Moon drank her cocoa, which had finally cooled down enough.

She pressed on the one picture, which enlarged to fit the screen. Immediately upon opening, Serena grabbed her phone from the table and shoved it back in her purse, eyes shut tightly. _No, no, why is it this one?_

"Serena?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Sorry, that was some pre-installed background picture. I guess I deleted it." Serena tapped on her cup with her long fingernails.

 _No, it wasn't. I saw it_ , Moon thought, donning a momentarily worried look at her old friend. _Red, blue, and honey… I know what it is. It's a self-portrait, Serena. Why did you hide it?_

 _Damn it all. Hopefully they didn't see that It's so goddamn ugly! I_ have _to delete it later._

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, if we ever cross paths at Moon's house like before, show me one then!" Lillie smiled, not knowing the effect of her words.

 _Cross paths at…_ Moon's _place? Nowadays?_ "Y-yeah, I will."

 _Like it was before?_ Moon started chewing on her lip.

"Well, I'll go now. More customers are coming in. Bye!" With that, the blonde left, leaving two perturbed girls at the booth. They simultaneously took long, loud sips of their drinks.

Serena looked down at the table at the confections she had ordered. _They look pretty good. Which one to start? Well, which one will take this bitter taste out of my mouth?_

"Yeah, yeah, try one! They're really good!"

"Uh…" She picked up a fork and started tapping it on a plate, lost in thought. _Which would be the least worst? Not that I don't have faith in this place or Moon's opinion, but I don't feel like having an upset stomach on top of being tired and my back aching._

 _The tiramisu looks crunchy, and I'm not acclimated to chewing yet, so, pass for now. The raspberry cheesecake might be too cloyingly sweet right now. I'm picky with strawberry shortcake since a lot of place's crust makes my throat itch. Chocolate cake? I mean, how can you mess that up?_ Serena made up her mind and stabbed the dark brown cake to her extreme left with her fork.

To her surprise, it was quite a pleasant bite. _The actual cake is spongy and fluffy, with a deep, pleasantly bitter taste of dark chocolate. The milk chocolate frosting is lusciously smooth and silky, spreading on my tongue and making my cheeks tingle. This is amazing. It rivals my own, if I do say so myself_. Her inner sweets connoisseur came out.

On Moon's side of the world, she was just sitting there, watching her friend who was chewing on her cake, a hand to her cheek and humming in pleasure. _What are you doing, Serena? I should take a video of this or something._ Moon giggled, making Serena snap up and straighten out. "So, good?"

Serena cleared her throat. "Uh, yes it is." _Damn, have to control myself a little more. But… this_ is _Moon I'm talking about_. Moon was slowly bringing a fork set off to the side, trying to sneak a sliver of cake from her friend. _Come on, man._ "Get your own!"

"Ach!" Moon abandoned ship and dropped her utensil, retracting her arm and holding it under the table. "Uh, what happened?"

All four plates were pulled closer to their owner, who defensively hugged them and refused the share. "No. Bad Moon."

"Sorry." They laughed again. "Still love sweets, huh?"

"Yeah, I do. Who wouldn't?"

Each cake got a quick taste, all of them on par with the chocolate one to Serena. _I've got to remember to come back here later. But, I didn't exactly come here to sploosh over cake._

"Everything okay with you? School? Life?" Moon was really trying to keep the conversation going, knowing very well that if she let Serena walk out that door without making the right moves, she would probably fade to obscurity in her friend's memory banks. A hard probably.

"Let's drop that crap, Moon. Let's go back to Riley."

"What about him?"

"Do you know if he's alright?"

Moon paused. _If Ash was telling the truth… Well, he was, so I don't even know why I'm hesitating so much about answering her._ "No, I don't think he is. He hasn't come to school so far in the year, which isn't unusual. But, when we hung out with him last week, he said that he would try to. Ash even saw him Monday morning, but something happened that made him not come. The whole past week, he wasn't in any class that I share with him."

"What happened?" Serena cleaned off one of her plates, scraping every last bit of frosting she could get on her fork, trying not to look invested. _I doubt I'm going to see him again, but I kind of have to know_

"I wasn't there, but apparently Ash's friends made him feel bad and go back home. I kinda feel bad for him. It must have taken a lot of courage and willpower for him to even leave his house."

"Ash, huh? What crowd did he fall into?" It was meant to be a murmur, but Serena ended up saying it clearly.

"He's on the football team. I've seen the rest of the team, and they're all kinda… even more dense than Ash, and way more rude."

"Oh. Maybe I _should_ go that game next week." Serena made sure to have whispered it to herself. _High Horizon versus Journey High. I would put money on Journey if Ash is playing._

"From what I saw last Friday, Ash is, well, still Ash, so there's that."

Serena chewed on a strawberry she had just shoveled into her mouth slowly, unsure as to what was going to far in their conversation. _Still straying from my original intent_. _Just have to inch closer to talking about_ her. _Start small, with Riley._ "You said that it would have been tough for Riley to leave his house?"

Moon finished off her cocoa and resorted to tapping on the cup to stop her hands from shaking. She was still a bunch of nerves despite finding comfort in her old friend, chatting like nothing ever changed. "Well, yeah. Remember back then… Ms. Collins called us and said that Riley, that he, uh, wasn't coming out of his house?"

Serena could feel the blood draining out of her face. _Not really… I only heard it twice, and then I made sure I wouldn't hear it again_. "Would you… think badly of me if I said that I blocked her number after the second time she called about that?" The pause between words she took was rather long.

Moon slowly looked up at Serena with a neutral face. "I wouldn't, actually. I get it. I might have thought of doing that myself. But, I didn't. She kept calling me, and I think Calem as well, and kept me up to date about him. She said that she called him almost every day to make sure he was alright."

"Well… I did. What happened to him that she had to make sure he was good?" Serena found the peeling leather of the seat she was on to be the least distracting thing she could have stared at. _I just can't look Moon in the eyes if we're gonna talk about this._

"We all knew that his dad wasn't going to keep us updated about Riley's condition. So, she did it on her own. So nice, isn't she?" Moon raised one corner of her lips and bit her cheek. "And, well, he… Riley didn't, he, uh, didn't leave his house for a year after it happened."

Serena froze, almost letting go of her fork in mid-air. "What? What did he do for all that time?"

"Why are you surprised? We were in the same class for seventh and eighth grade."

"I just thought that he was moved to a different one since he was… absent so much. Oh. He was there, in eight grade, at the end." _Stupid. What is wrong with you?_

"Yeah. But, apparently he told Ms. Collins that his dad made him go out to school to graduate, something about not being held back any more than he had already. So, he ended up coming to school in the end." Moon stopped talking for a good minute before continuing, starting to fiddle with her bag strap. "Ms. Collins said that his voice always sounded _empty_ whenever he answered the phone."

Serena said the first thing that came to her mind. "I regret not even trying to make sure that he was okay. I just thought that if, if _I_ could let it go, that he would and everyone else would be fine, too." _But… I_ knew _that they were the closest of all of us. And, I just turned around and never looked back. Well, until now. I kind of have to look now._

"Yeah. Me too."

 _Now. Ask her now, and don't regret it. Find it if you're really that horrible of a person._ "Hey, Moon?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you, uh, that is, do you…" Serena took a deep breath and pushed the remaining bits of cake away from her, not hungry anymore. Her plate ended up looking like an an avant-garde piece of modern art. "Do you _believe_ Riley about Dawn?"

And, without hesitation, Moon said, "Of course I do."

"Even if he's lying? Even if, if he's just looking for attention? Even if he, uh, he's having some nervous breakdown right now? Even if he, he's trying to make us feel guilty? Even if he's making you feel sh-shitty about what happened to Dawn?" Serena was practically shouting this, standing up from the booth with tears threatening to fall.

And how did Moon answer? With a straight face and a smile, she said, once more without hesitation, "Of course I would."

 _What am I even saying? What is wrong with me?_ Serena sat back down and pressed a palm against her mouth. "I'm not… sure of what I expected out of that. Or what I wanted. Just _fuck_ me, man!"

"I'd rather not," Moon whispered, trying to get a laugh. She put her hands over Serena's. Moon's were warm and unusually sweaty, but comforting.

Lillie walked by the table with a tray of empty plates and whispered with a weak smile before she completely passed them by, "I'm sorry, but other customers are complaining about the noise."

"Sorry," Serena blurted out, putting her head in her arms on the table. "I'm a horrible person."

"No, you're not." Moon started letting her on the head. "I know you, Serena, and you're a great person."

"No, I"- Serena looked around the cafe and saw only one other table occupied at the other side of the room-"I'm terrible. Look at me. Did you even hear what I said? Riley looked absolutely defeated when I saw him on Monday, and here I am, talking shit on him because I wanna make myself feel better!"

"Then change it." Serena didn't respond to this. Moon made herself smile and felt the words coming out. "I admit that I actually didn't believe him at first when he came over and said that he could see Dawn, and wanted to grant a wish of hers. But… I just, I dunno. I kinda fought with Riley and Ash at first, but then, I just let go. I didn't want to fight with them. I… _liked_ how things were before. Plus, I got to hang out with them like it used to be, and it felt _good_. We were just missing you and Calem."

"But… things _can't_ go back to how they were. No matter how much any of us want it to. No matter how much any of us try." _It's just impossible._

"Just stop thinking so much. I mean, we're having fun right now, huh? Well, y'know, without stressing about this stuff."

 _I can't exactly argue with that. But…_ "Hey, Moon?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Do you feel… _guilty_ about what happened to Dawn?" And that was it. _Please say yes, Moon. Help me keep some semblance of sanity in my system. This is it: the landslide has fallen. And it's up to us as to whether or not it'll stop, at least for me._ Both were silent and unmoving as the words sank in. _Please just say_ something, _Moon!_

"What do you mean? Do… you?" Moon's face twisted and her foot kept skidding across the floor without thinking.

"Yes," Serena breathed, clutching her empty coffee cup. _Just get it out. Just say it! My heart can't take it… after all these years…_

"Why?"

"I… It's _my_ fault, Moon. It's _my_ fault that Dawn is-"

"No, it's not! It was an accident. She slipped, and none of us could have known. If we did, then she would still be-"

"But _I_ caused it, Moon!" Both of them struggled to keep the tears from falling. "If I hadn't asked that _stupid_ question, if I hadn't sparked that whole stupid chain of events, she would still be here! It's _my_ fault."

"No, what happened… happened. No one knew that that was what was going to happen. If we did, then we would have stopped her from running out and-"

"But I _did_ know what was going to happen." Moon looked straight into Serena's eyes as her lips quivered. "No, wait, I meant that… that I _thought_ I knew what was going to happen."

"Thought?" was all Moon said.

"I asked that _stupid_ question because I _thought_ that Riley would say that he _did_ love Dawn. But, but, he didn't. And then that all happened. I, it's _my_ fault, Moon, and you can't say otherwise."

"Why did you want that?" Moon was barely audible.

"Because I… wanted them to get together."

"Why?"

"Be-because, just because!"

"Why did you have to do it with all of us there?"

"I just, uh, didn't know what else to do. He had to see it so that-"

"Who's he?"

"Just someone. I-it doesn't matter, anyway! The point is that"-her voice started cracking, unable to handle remembering what she so desperately wanted to forget of the past-"it's _my_ fault that Dawn's gone. And I let her run out. I didn't even try to stop her when she ran. Because I felt that if Riley didn't confess to her, then she could at least feel horrible.

"She was always just _so goddamn happy_ all the time. She had _everything_ , and even when she did cry over something, everyone lent their shoulders to her on their own accord. Even me. And for once, after Riley ran out and she followed, I _knew_ that she felt shitty and I felt better than her, even if only a little since my plan failed. And I was okay with it back then. I was _happy_ that she was sad, and she left the picture when she ran out.

"But I can't regret it enough right now. I didn't know that she was going to… leave us like that. I just wanted to be _better_ than her. I wanted to be noticed and get what _I_ wanted. I didn't care about Dawn that day. I… killed her." Her voice was just above a whisper.

"No… Serena, you didn't. Don't blame yourself like that. Don't cry. Don't… cry," Moon whispered, getting up and moving to sit on the same bench as Serena. She hugged the taller girl and latched on tightly.

"But _you're_ the one crying, Moon." Serena stiffened and bit her lip, feeling a sob trying to escape herself. She felt her left sleeve dampening with a warm liquid coming from Moon.

 _Why are you holding it in? Too good to cry over Dawn? Were you lying just now? Is your image_ that _much more important than your friend? Do you really want to forget her? Do you_ hate _her?_ the voice in Serena's head nagged her. "I like Dawn. I can't hate her." A tear slipped down her cheek.

"So do I," Moon said, squeezing Serena tightly. _Dawn, we're still here._ "It wasn't your fault, Serena. It wasn't anyone's. It was an accident. Dawn's… okay." _Right?_

A minute passed before Serena spoke up. "I'll believe." _What else can I fucking do?_

"Believe what?"

"That Dawn's here, and that Riley can see her. At least for now..." _Damn it, why did I say that last part?! Well… it's not wrong. Just because I feel like utter crap doesn't mean that I'll be so gullible. Just maintain a healthy level of skepticism, and wish Dawn all the best, wherever she is._ The embrace between the two of them tightened. "At least that Dawn deserves to be happy."

"Believe that it's not your fault." _The same goes for me..._

"No promises. I'll try, though."

Moon quieted down and came to only soft snivels here and there after a few minutes. Serena whipped out a clean handkerchief, different from the one she used on Moon at the dental office, and passed it to her friend. The younger girl took it gratefully and wiped her face, collecting herself. "Things'll be okay."

"I really hope you're right." Serena felt sick, and it wasn't from the cake. _Goddamnit, this isn't what I thought was going to happen. I just wanted to get the weight off of my chest, but instead, it just feels heavier. Why couldn't we all just drop it? No, what the hell am I saying? Dawn is, she… I care about her._

"Me too. Me too. Maybe I'll swing by Riley's again to see if he's alright next week." Moon got up to sit back on her original bench.

Serena gripped her fork so tightly she thought it was going to bend. _So, Dawn is… stuck here, she said?_ "What did you mean about Dawn having a wish?"

"Riley said that. That's why we hung out on Friday. He said that Dawn can't, mm"-Moon pressed her lips together, unsure of how she should have phrased her words-"she can't _pass on_ until her wish is granted. And, neither of them know what it is, so they were just trying something out last week." Moon took several shaky breaths in between words.

 _So, if her wish is granted, she'll move on? She'll be satisfied with everything, and have no qualms about everything? If I help her, would she forgive me? Would I get closure?_ "I'll… I'll _try_ to help out. For Dawn. So she can be… _happy_ ," Serena whispered. _But closure is a lie._

"I think she would be happy just to see you. And, I think Riley'll appreciate seeing you, too."

"I doubt that last part," she said under her breath. _After Monday? I just walked away. Who knows how lousy I made him feel. But, maybe I'll be better than Calem to him._

"Let's just be optimists right now." Moon smiled and dropped a couple of dollars on the table. Serena glanced at her still-full plates before pulling out her wallet and paying for her own meal and tip. "Shall we go? Try to clear up the air and lighten up?"

"Y-yeah, let's." Serena stood up and grabbed her purse, checking to make sure that she had everything in there. _Just take it slowly. It's_ not _the end of the world._

Before the tall girl had the chance to turn around, her vision became red, quite literally. Or perhaps it was more pink. Moon had shoved something right in front of Serena's eyes: a hunk of plastic. Serena took a step back to see what it was and gasped.

Moon had her head bowed (whether it was in shame or embarrassment, Serena did not know) and was holding with both her hands a pink DSI with a sticker on it of a Pikachu and the words "20th anniversary" below it. Serena recognized it immediately.

 **~X~**

It was sometime in spring of fourth grade. The six of them were all in Calem's treehouse, playing on their DSIs, in comfortable silence. Moon was huddled in the corner, Calem was pretending not to be that invested in what he was playing, Ash was actually sleeping, waiting for his system to charge inside the Thompson household, Riley was looking on to Dawn's game as he was watching the credits of his, and Serena was sitting alone on the floor, against the wall.

All of a sudden, Dawn stood up and waltzed over to Serena, plopping down next to her with an arm slung around her shoulder. "Serena, check it out! I stuck that free sticker from _Trozei_ on my DSI! It looks cool!"

And indeed, an anniversary sticker with a Pikachu on it, that had came free with Dawn's copy of _Pokemon Trozei,_ was placed proudly on the top half of her blue DSI off to the right. Her smile was from ear to ear.

"Yeah, it's super cool. I wish my mom bought me _Trozei_ too." Serena forced herself to smile. _I was too embarrassed to ask her._

"Well, you can start a new game after I'm finished. It's really fun! But… Riley kinda helps me with some of it. It's kinda stressful, ha ha."

 _Share her copy. It's not my own_. _Be player two._ "Yeah, totally!"

"Y'know, I got two stickers in the case. Moon only got one in hers, so it's just an extra one. Here, put it on your DS. We can be matching!" Dawn giggled.

Just _an extra one_. "Wait, Dawn, no-" Serena tried to hide her game system behind her, but Dawn saw it and grabbed it up, already peeling the sticker off its paper.

"Moon already put hers on the back of her case, so this will be special, just for the two of us!" Dawn put a index finger to her lips and winked.

 _But, I don't want us to be matching. I don't want to be like you. Stop it, Dawn! Let me be myself! I'm special too!_ "Dawn, I don't want-"

"Ta da!" It was too late; Dawn had already stuck it on Serena's system. Putting their consoles side by side, they looked exactly the same except for the color, Dawn's blue and Serena's red.

 _I don't like it. I_ hate _it. Why did you do that, Dawn? I said stop!_ She smiled and held Dawn's hand for a second. "Ha ha, it looks good!"

"Doesn't it?" Dawn gave a huge smile before standing up. "Bye!" She waved and skipped over back to Riley, not a care in the world.

 _You're just going to leave now?! I didn't want this stupid sticker!_ Serena looked at her DSI and the Pikachu on it. She brought a finger to it and started picking and the edges, trying to peel the sticker off. But, it was stuck on there good, and wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. _And now it's ugly, too! What is wrong with you, Dawn?_

 **~X~**

"Oh, it's my… DSI. Why do you have it?" Serena stared at the sticker, which had yellowed raised edges from where she tried to peel it off. None of her attempts to remove it had worked, and she just gave up after a few days of giving it a death glare. _I thought it was gone forever. I don't really want it, especially because of that damn sticker. No, I mean, because I'm too old for it now._

"You left it charging the last time you were over. I took good care of it. It's fully charged, and Almond is safe and sound!"

"Oh, Almond. Right. Th-thank you." Serena slowly took hold of the console, not wanting to leave Moon hanging. _Almond: the stupid name I gave to every player character in_ Pokemon _because I wanted to be different. Dawn always named herself Dawn. I thought it was… cool that I named her Almond._

"You got it! I've been wanting to give it back to you since then, but I _never_ saw you again until now," Moon said while breathing a little creepily. "But, I'm glad we met today!"

 _Oh, Moon._ "Yeah, me too. Why don't we go? We might have overstayed our welcome here." The two were standing in the middle of the cafe, which they just noticed started to fill out with customers. A couple or so people were staring at the two girls having a moment. Serena shoved the game system into her purse, patting it to make sure it was there.

And off they went. They exited the cafe, the bell attached to the door jingling as they opened the door. As soon as Serena stepped out, she shielded her eyes from the light. "Argh, still sensitive."

Before she knew it, she was covered in shade. She looked up and saw an umbrella being held above her. "Better?" Moon asked, the owner of the cheap piece of metal and cloth. "I thought it was gonna rain today, so I brought one with me. Hopefully it doesn't look too weird bringing this around town when it's sunny." A couple of elderly women passing by under a large umbrella comforted Moon.

"Oh, yeah, Moon, thank you. Really." Serena put a hand on Moon's shoulder and smiled. Both girls wished that they could have had a picture of that moment in time. _I… missed this. Moon is a real friend._

Would it be any wonder that the moment was ruined? A group of three loud girls with artificially colored hair passed by the front of the cafe, howling in laughter. Serena tried turning around and hiding her face, but failed. "Serena? What are you doing here? You ditched us today!"

"Yeah. Why are you here? Oh, are you on a date?"

"With who? Is it Jason?"

"No, I wasn't on a date. I came from getting braces and was hungry. That's _all_." Serena stepped out of the shade of Moon's umbrella and flipped her hair.

"Ugh, braces? Sucks to be you."

"I don't look that bad!" Serena put a hand over her mouth subconsciously. "I don't smile with my teeth, anyway, so-"

"Let's go, Sissy!" One of the girls grabbed Serena's arm and started pulling her away. "We can make it for food right now. Unless you wanna flake on us _again_."

"I just ate, though. My jaw hurts!" Serena stomped a foot so hard, she thought her high heel was going to break off.

"Sissy?" Moon asked, moving her umbrella to cover Serena again. _Like from that episode of_ South Park _? Oh, wait, it's a stupid nickname, isn't it?_

Serena twisted her head to face Moon and moved her lips without speaking. "Go. Now."

"Come again?" Moon didn't get it. She saw Serena pinch the bridge of her nose, though.

"Hey, Sissy, who's the loser?" Serena and Moon both froze and looked up at the speaker, who had bleach-blonde hair.

"And why's she using an umbrella? It's not even raining, y'know? Are you blind or something?" asked a girl with cotton-candy pink hair.

"Her clothes are so weird, too," whispered a girl with purple and blue hair dyed in a gradient. Her friends stifled, unsuccessfully, shrill giggles.

Moon looked down and felt perplexed. _What's wrong with my clothes? Because I'm not wearing a dress or something?_ "Serena, what's happening?"

"Wait, you _know_ her, Sissy? Like, actually? She doesn't even go to our school."

Serena locked eyes with Moon and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. _I have to choose. I… don't want to choose._ Moon's eyes were wide and innocent, completely unaware of the fine line separating her and the other three girls in their presence. _I'm_ so _sorry, Moon._ "N-no, I don't know her."

"What?" Moon clenched her fists and felt like she was shrinking. _Serena? What are you talking about? We were just talking._

"Then why's she out here with you?"

"She's just… a _dumb_ waitress from this cafe that won't leave me alone. I left my purse in there by accident, and she gave it to me, but, like, she just opened an umbrella out of nowhere like a total _weirdo_!" _I'm sorry, Moon. Please don't take this to heart. I have to do this._ It was too bad that she really didn't have to.

"Yeah, weirdo is right!" one of Serena's friends exclaimed, taking a picture of a dejected Moon. Moon was frowning, wrinkling her nose, with a tear slipping down her cheek; she was still a little sensitive from her earlier cry. She was also chewing on her thumb by instinct.

"What? S-Serena?" Moon's voice was wavering. She was hugging herself and hunching over, hyperventilating. _What is she saying? I'm her friend, right? Right?_ She reached out to grab onto the taller girl's forearm.

Serena slapped Moon's hand and stepped away. It was more like she lifted her arm and let it fall with gravity than doing it herself. "Don't… touch me, you loser. Stay away." Her tone said otherwise, but the focus was cast on the words she used and not her intent. She looked back at her other "friends", who were all wearing shit-eating grins and tittering at Moon. "Come on. I'm not coming back here, ever. The food sucked, and this waitress is crazy." Her voice was barely audible at the end. It was like she lost all will to do anything at the end.

"Facts, yo, let's go, Sissy!" Serena was then dragged off into the distance, leaving a crestfallen Moon behind, struggling to hold in another wave of tears.

Nonetheless, Moon still said, "Bye."

 _Please know that I'm lying, Moon, because I am. I just can't risk falling any farther from grace right now. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Don't hate me…_

"Yo, Sissy, you look like you about to cry. What's wrong wit'chu?"

"Nothing, nothing." _Please just let today be over_. Serena slipped her hand into her purse and thumbed her DSI, safe and sound and never to be revealed to the girls around her.

"You got money, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Good, 'cause none of us got any. You're paying today."

Serena felt her blood spike. "I paid the last few times," she practically growled. _I'm not in the mood._ She kept on walking with her head tipped to the ground, squinting with her eyes still sensitive.

"Yeah, well pay this time, too!" When Serena didn't respond, her friends just swung their hips in satisfaction.

Back at the cafe, Moon was still standing there, holding the umbrella, hunched over to the point that it looked like she was going to topple over. A gust of wind had blown by, causing the umbrella to turn inside-out. _No, she couldn't have meant that. If she did, then she wouldn't have stuck by me for today, right? Right? No, she must just have some really weird friends. That's got to be it. It_ has _to be it. Like on TV!_

"Moon?"

"Ah!" Moon actually jumped a few inches off the ground in shock. Looking to her side, Lillie had come out in her normal clothes. "O-oh, hey." She closed the umbrella pathetically, awkwardly swinging her arms in the air unnecessarily to reach the points of the cloth.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"N-no, it's fine. Are you off now? Tutoring, right?"

"Mm-hmm!" Lillie held Moon by the hand softly and dragged her off to her place. Moon tried her best to forget the second half of that day, wanting to only remember the better half. She wasn't that successful.

 **~X~**

Another week flew by before anyone knew it. Serena had yet to reconcile with Moon, and no one interacted with anyone else.

Friday afternoon, Dawn was lying on her back on Riley's bed, head hanging off the side, playing on his 3DS. Riley was sitting at his desk, still entertaining himself with _Dark Souls III._ The atmosphere was quiet and calm. Dawn didn't like that. "Hey, Riley?"

"Mm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Fine. Why?"

She frowned and sat up. _He's lying. I can feel it_. She stared at the back of his head, noticing that it wasn't even tidied up in the least bit, like he didn't even try cleaning himself once he rolled off his couch. "Well… y'know. Last week was-"

"Just forget it."

"But-"

"Dawn!" She clammed up. He got a game over. She lost her will to keep playing her own game, shutting the system off and tossing it into the nearby drawer.

"Sorry." Dawn fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. The room was quiet except for the sound of Riley mashing keyboard keys. _That's all he's_ been _doing the past almost two weeks. Ever since we walked back in the rain, he just wakes up, goes to the bathroom sparingly, and sits there in front of his computer, playing the same damn game like a robot. He doesn't even say more than five words at a time! I'm super worried, but he's so scary when he gets angry. I don't know how to talk to him right now._

"Things were getting better," she whispered.

 _You Died_ flashed on a black banner on Riley's screen. Game over. He visibly tensed and moved to grab his mouse, squeezing the plastic so hard you could hear it squeaking from the pressure.

"Sorry." _That's all I've been saying lately to him._ Beside her, she heard a buzz. Dawn sat up and looked around, locating the source of the noise. Riley's phone had vibrated.

Dawn pressed the large button below the blacked out screen and saw that he got a text message. She pressed the notification and swiped her thumb across the screen, being brought to a white and red screen with bubbles full of text. _What?_

Riley was so absorbed in his game that he didn't bother looking back to see if his phone got an important message. Dawn took the liberty to sneak a peek at his message log.

Above the new message was five bubbles of different colors, all saying "Okay." Above those messages, the last note said, "Let's meet at Calem's treehouse on Sunday. Bring snacks."

 _Hey, this is our text group thing. There's only been a new message after then right now? Well… Riley did say…_

 _2nite 8 calems treehouse_ the text read from a bubble with a yellow border.

It took Dawn a hot minute to understand what it said. _What? Who sent this? Did they have a stroke or something when they wrote this?_

"Riley? You got a message."

"What?" He didn't look back at her. She read the message aloud.

 _You Died_ was on his monitor again. He stomped the floor. _What's happening? No..._

"Yellow." He didn't respond. "The sender's bubble was yellow."

Riley felt his heart stop for a second. _What? What's going on? No, stop._

His phone buzzed again and Dawn checked it. It was a white bubble.

"White"-she continued to read the texts aloud as they came-" _No._ "

On Riley's computer, his character had just run off of an avoidable cliff. _You Died._

A purple bubble came up next. "Purple. _Okay_."

A red one. "Red," she said before reading, " _Why not? Not like you have anything better to do than waste your time ALONE tonight. Let me guess: you're reading about derivatives right now._ "

 _You Died._ Riley's character got mobbed by a bunch of enemies.

The phone buzzed almost instantaneously after this. "White," she said, " _No. I just don't have the time, nor the patience to out up with your childish antics. Don't come over._ "

"Red. _Hypocrite._ " A buzz. "Yellow. _Let's just meet up 2nite guys_."

 _You Died_. Riley's character got smashed by a boss.

"Purple. _Okay_. White. _I said no_. Red. _Way to be mature, huh?_ "

 _You Died._ Another buzz.

"White. _I am, unlike you all. Instead of wasting your time, why don't you do something productive, you urchins?_ "

 _You Died._

"Red. _Then you're an ass. Stop pretending that you're better than us. You're not that smart_."

 _You Died._

"Yellow. _Guys just stop it u dont hav 2 do this._ Purple. _Okay_."

 _You Died._

"White. _Don't involve me in your foolish endeavors. No one wants to hear this._ "

Riley slammed the table.

"Red. _No one asked you. Just shut up._ " Dawn's voice started cracking. _Buzz_. "White. _Did Riley infect you all with his infantile delusions?_ "

 _You Died._ Riley smashed a bunch of keys in at once.

"Yellow. _Come on man stop._ Red. _Speak for yourself. Why don't YOU come back down to Earth?!_ "

 _You Died._ Riley felt like flipping his table over. _What are they doing? Why? Just stop._

"Purple. _Okay_. White. _That's enough. The lot of you, grow up. Mature a little more than not at all before you instigate another conversation with me, even if only by a little. Do something productive with your lives instead of insisting that we should dig up the past when it's where it belongs._ "

"Dawn, stop reading it." Two consecutive buzzes.

She took a shaky breath before another buzz came in. "Yellow. _Dude just relax your always so uptight._ Red. _Why don't you grow up? Denial is just as childish as playing games. So is pretending you're better than everyone else._ " Dawn groaned and kicked the air. "Purple"-her voice cracked again-" _Okay_."

 _You Died_. _Buzz_.

"White. _You simpletons just don't know when to quit. Stop living in the past. It's not healthy. And stop dragging everyone else into business that shouldn't exist. Grow up. It's not that hard._ "

 _You Died_. Riley gripped the edge of the table.

"Yellow. _Chill lets just meet up and talk then i wanted 2 talk about dawns wish_."

Riley stopped playing. Three more buzzes.

"Purple. _Okay_. Red. _Fine._ White. _And that is supposed to persuade me how?_ " It was another minute before another buzz came in. Dawn didn't really want to read it. After struggling to gulp, she said, "White. _Dawn Zheng is dead, and no one is going to change that._ "

There was a calm period that Dawn observed to be almost exactly three minutes before the whiplash came back. _Buzz_. "Red. _That doesn't mean you have to forget her. Cold-hearted bastard._

"White. _Watch your diction. The government monitors these conversations, don't you know?_

"Red. _Quit the big talk. We all know you're overcompensating for something._

"White. _Why are you still bothering me right now?_

"Yellow. _Cause ur bein a jerk rite now._

"Purple. _I'm confused. Are we going or not?_

"You're phone is getting really hot." Dawn's voice was breaking. She wanted any distraction she could have to stop reading, if only for a moment.

"Red. _Yes, we are. Just because SOMEONE is being an asshole and pretending that he doesn't care doesn't mean that he'll stop us. Why is it so hard for you to admit that you care, Thompson?! Are you sure YOU'RE the "mature" one?_

"Purple. _Okay_.

"White. _No, you're not. And yes, Lanier, I AM the mature one. Just look how gullible you all are. Do you seriously believe what Riley said about a SPIRIT, of all things, being visible to only to him and just so happens to be the apparition of Dawn? You have to be insane to do so. Stop begging for attention, Riley. I know that you're reading this. Grow up already and move on. I shouldn't have to tell you this._ " Dawn could barely cough out these words as it finally came crashing down on her how much stress she had put on Riley just by being near him. She read through the wall of text without losing her place once, from both reading slowly and not being able to dart her eyes away no matter how much she wanted to.

 _Buzz_. "Moon… Purple. _Okay_. Yellow. _Im in teh midle of practice now ill drop by te trerhous l8r even if u dont wanna cya calme_." Dawn had to read it extremely slowly to check if she understood what she was reading and saying.

"Purple. _Okay_. Red. _Just shut up and suck it up, Thompson. No one cares what you think_."

 _You Died_. Riley tried to zone Dawn out, but couldn't. Who could? _Why are you guys still doing this?_

"White. _How ignorant can you all be? I'm changing the password on the lock. My parents are working, so no one is going to open the door and let you guys in. Don't waste your time. I won't even entertain the thought anymore, so just stop with this, delete this conversation, and DON'T bother me again._

"Purple. _Okay_.

"Red. _You say that, but do you even mean it? As lonely as you are, I'm surprised you won't even grasp at straws like these_.

"White. _YOU all are the ones grasping at straws. Especially you, Riley._

"Purple. _So, we're not going?_ " _Oh, Moon._

"White. _No, so_ -" Dawn was interrupted by Riley storming over and grabbing the phone. He looked at the whole conversation history to see that Dawn had really bit the bullet and said everything word for word. Her bursting out crying, grabbing onto the back of his shirt and shaking him made him want to stop the conversation even more. _For fuck's sake… Just stop. Is that so hard? Why did things come to this?_

Riley turned around and started punching his phone screen with his thumbs. Dawn pulled herself up, forcibly rubbing her cheeks and eyes clear of tears. She stood on the bed to look over his shoulder at what he was typing. A gray bubble was sent out. _Calem's treehouse. Tonight at eight._

 _Riley?_ She hugged him from behind, both for something to cling onto and not feel lonely, and to secretly use his shirt to dry her face. "Why are you doing this?" Her voice was very high-pitched and so quiet that Riley only caught it because her mouth was right next to his ear.

He looked over his message and sent another one. _Bring snacks._

"Riley? What's going to happen?"

Riley froze, almost dropping his phone when he realized what he just did. He snapped out of it when his phone buzzed again. Purple. _Okay_. Red. _Okay_. Yellow. _Okay._ And after a few minutes, White. _Okay._

"Fuck. What _did_ I do?" He tossed his phone onto the bed and sat down, holding his face in his palms. Dawn kneeled down behind him and gave him a weak shoulder rub, which consisted of her grabbing his shoulders and just barely rocking them back and forth. She wasn't really trying, to tell the truth. She just wanted to know that he was still there.

"I wouldn't have thought you would have done _that_ of all things."

"Because I wasn't going to. But, just goddamnit, Calem can be insufferable sometimes."

"You finally talking?"

He paused before comprehending what she just said. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Sorry if I was just a brick wall for the past week." _I… guess I've wasted enough time being a moody teenager. Or is it adult? I sure don't feel like it._

"N-no, as long as you're okay, I'm good."

"Last week was just… too much. Maybe, just maybe today will end up better."

"You sure? I think you can still call it off if you want."

"No, what's done is… done. I'm gonna suck it up and see it through." _And maybe see things in a better light than before._

"Well, you managed to get Calem to cave in, so he might come off a little less strong this time. You were the best at getting the last word."

"Yeah, I hope so. I don't wanna regret this."

"It's not school, so…" she trailed off with a leading tone. _Just trust me, Riley. It won't be as bad as Monday or this text conversation was. And, and!_ "Hey, everyone'll be there!"

 _Oh. She's right._ Riley stood up and looked around his room. It was completely dark, save for his computer monitor still glowing and the little sunlight penetrating his blinds. The light switch was flicked and light became an abundance. His eyes spent a few seconds adjusting to the light, and wanted to stay shut forever. _Would at least be easier than going out right now._

"'Bring snacks' though?"

"Outta instinct." Riley walked back over to pick up his phone, reopening the conversation. _Someone used to always add that at the end whenever we reached a consensus. Guess it was my turn._

He glanced at the clock and noted the time to be 7:03. A wrinkled jacket was yanked off the back of a chair and slung on to Riley's shoulders. Dawn perked up and stood politely by the door, not wanting to push Riley's limits, but secretly excited to see what would happen once all six of them met at Calem's treehouse. "Go now? That was fast."

"Y'know that period after you cry that you forget everything you were crying about and feel as though nothing ever happened?"

"Yeah?" _Oh. I get it._

A wordless nod later, the two descended the stairs and found themselves standing before the front door. Riley was dragging his feet the whole way through. _Just get this over with as soon as possible._ Riley patted his pockets to check that he had his keys and wallet.

Then, he breathed, a hand tightly gripping the doorknob. Several more deep breaths were taken. Then, another once-over took place. Followed by several more deep breaths. _I don't have that fear of leaving my house, but I might as well have. I'm scared to go out, into the unknown, where danger lurks around every corner and words are used as weapons just as effectively as a knife. Damn, I meet to stop thinking like this. Glad I don't talk like I think._

His hand was trembling, the doorknob shaking in its place; it was a surprise that it didn't just fall out of its socket. The ticking of an analog wall clock, that was off by an hour and ten minutes, rang loud and clear throughout the house. _It shouldn't be that bad this time. It'll just be the six of us, alone, no one else. No strangers, no friends of friends, no nonsense. Just get through this and see what Ash wanted._

Slowly but surely, Riley twisted the knob and pulled the door open. The outside world would have been beautiful had the weather not had a stormy streak. Fog and the smell of rain greeted the two. Everything was just in a gloomy filter. Life was lacking. No one walked the streets, and it all just felt empty.

Riley led the way to Calem's house, walking the slowest he could while staring at the sidewalk. The sound of the scraping of shoes on concrete from behind him, and the small hand slipped in his provided some comfort as he knew that Dawn was following closely.

Exhaling, his breath was visible thanks to that day being the coldest of the season so far. Large clouds of false smoke stemming from his mouth reminded Riley that he was still breathing. Dawn just watched from behind him as his breath rose above and slowly dissipated into the atmosphere.

After hooking a left, Riley dove into a small corner store. The cheap chime of a bell set at the top of the door rang out as he paid it no mind. Dawn only followed him mindlessly, holding onto his hand like a child. No greeting came from the bored cashier behind the glass counter rubbing at a scratch card. Quiet was the best word to describe the situation. Just like Riley liked it.

A large plastic rack filled with chips loomed over him, just adjacent to the humming refrigerators of the shop. He held his face in his hand as a wave of embarrassment came over him. _Why am I doing this?_

"You good?" Dawn gave him a concerned look, knowing how uncomfortable he could be shopping. Too many choices and wasting so much time just standing around and trying to decide overwhelmed the man (even if it was only food in this case). That was why he chose to stay locked up in his room all the time.

"Fine," he said unconvincingly. For a small second, a memory came back to him of the six of them, averaging age nine, arguing over which snack to buy with their single five dollar bill. After ten minutes of ridiculous, childish bickering, they settled on one big bag of plain potato chips because it was the only type no one fought for. It didn't work out for anyone in the end, since it was both expired and half-full of burned crisps. He chuckled silently to himself recalling it.

"Let's get this one!" Dawn poked a value-size bag of of sour cream and onion chips. "Everyone likes it." Who wouldn't?

Riley ran a hand through his hair as he blindly grabbed the bag behind the one Dawn was pointing at, as well as a large bag of popcorn. _Whatever. Not like we're food critics over here._ The two sacks of junk food squeaked against each other, a loud noise that made Riley groan. "Let's just go." _And hope no one else brought chips_.

He made his way to the counter and tossed the bags onto it. The cashier rang him up and practically dropped the bag onto the young man as he slid a ten dollar bill onto the table. After pocketing his change, Riley left with his bag and Dawn. "Off we go!" Dawn tried to make it more exciting that she knew it was.

Dawn walked faster to move forwards side-by-side with Riley, hooking a pinky around the handles of the plastic bag in his hand. She started humming as they continued on to the Thompson household.

Upon arrival, the first thing Riley noticed was a figure dashing past him in a jacket with its hood worn up. He was standing on the sidewalk in front of the house as the person brushed past him, almost colliding with Dawn. There was a harmless and familiar feeling to the person that made Riley pay him no mind. The person jogged off into the distance, and Dawn could have sworn that they were holding a book open as they ran.

To his right, parked right in front of the house was a beat up gray minivan that Riley wished he hadn't seen. The pink air freshener hung on the inside of the car, as well as the several cutesy figurines displayed beyond the steering wheel marked the vehicle as belonging to one person: Ms. Collins. _I doubt she drove Ash, so he must be…_

"We're goin' in now," Dawn said as she tugged his hand towards the house. Riley let her pull him towards the wooden gate with a number pad preventing strangers from entering the backyard. "I, uh, don't remember the code specifically."

Riley felt one corner of his lips rise as he pulled out his phone. _Let's see if Calem was bluffing or not_. Fingerprints clearing spaces on the thick layer of dust on the number pad gave Riley some reassurance. _Someone was here_. He punched in the old code, and to little surprise, heard a confirmation ding. Dawn pushed the gate open and tugged his arm once more.

Instead of giving in once more, Riley refused to move from his spot. He put a hand over his chest and breathed in and out, in and out deeply. He could hear his heart beating faster, starting to feel sick over the potential disaster that could follow his entrance. _One step at a time. Got nothing left to lose, I'm already here, and I wasted like six bucks on these damn chips. I'm going in. Who knows? It could be better than I expected._

Taking one last breath, Riley passed the gate and kept walking until he was standing before the treehouse. From the four windows visible from Riley's position, warm yellow light leaked out. Grabbing onto the rope ladder, he took yet another deep breath before hoisting himself up. _Let's see to it this was worth it._

* * *

Author's note: And here we have a little insight into Serena's head. Boy, was it hard figuring out how to phrase the texts Ash sent. I don't text like that; I barely text at all. Wasted quite a while staring at nothing to put it on paper. Well then...

Thank you so much for reading, Mythgirl for reviewing, and Grandom for favoriting. It means a lot!


	8. Fallen too far from the Tree

The figure that had brushed past Riley was jogging at a steady speed. In his ears, calming classical music played at a soft volume, helping him keep his pace and mind. In his hands was a novel on philosophy of the natural sciences that was not a page-turner to him. But, he read it nonetheless. _Charles Darwin, eat your heart out._

The hood he was wearing fell down after a gentle tug, his warm head greeted by the cool, wet wind of the autumn night. Longish black hair fell out and was brushed back as a bored face looked ahead, coming to a full stop. He closed the book and held it under one arm as he reached out to open a door to a small bodega.

"Welcome," the cashier lazily said, invested in some magazine with a woman in revealing clothes on the cover. He lowered his source of entertainment to take a peek at the only customer that late, or early, at night. _First that weird guy who was talking to himself that just bought chips. Who now?_ He did a double take at the teen who walked past the counter without even a glance at the cashier. "Calem! Hey, dude! What brings you here?"

The teen didn't look back, not even because he didn't hear him over the sound of his music, and just walked further into the store. He went down one of the few aisles that didn't have food and picked up a package of napkins. A small sticker on the shelf it was on marked it as on sale. _Lucky me, I guess_.

To his left was a wall of refrigerators perpendicular to the shelf he was standing in front of. The one closest to him was stocked with ice cream beckoning him. He approached the fridge and opened the door, getting slightly frustrated at the initial suction of the appliance hindering his effort.

After taking a moment to scan over the boxes and tubs of treats, he instinctively reached for a carton of cookies and cream ice cream. After lifting it and almost dropping it from the weight being too much for his non-dominant hand, he stopped himself. _What am I doing? It's not even worth it._ He put the tub back down.

A sigh escaped him. _But, if_ she _is really going to be there, she'll rip me open for only bringing napkins. Damn her._ He picked the ice cream back up and shifted the arm that he was holding his book with. More satisfied than not, Calem went to the counter to buy his things.

"Calem, my man!" the cashier said, holding out a hand to shake. Calem refused to meet him even halfway. The cashier rang up the ice cream first. "Yo, goin' to a party or somethin'? Chillin' with your girl?"

Calem breathed heavily out his nostrils and put his book on the counter to cross his arms. "Can you _please_ not talk to me like that?"

"Dude, come on! We have some classes together. Why won't you ever hang out with me or my friends?"

"I have better things to do."

"Sure, man, sure."

"How much?" _I have no time for this idiotic attempt of getting my attention._

"On the screen. Y'know, I can cover this for you. Free. _If_ you lemme see the chem homew-"

 _How did he even end up at High Horizon? Some sports scholarship? His parents paid someone off? Unlike you, some of us have to work for our spots in life._ A twenty dollar bill was flashed in the cashier's face, cutting him off. He reluctantly put it in the register and punched a few keys on the machine. Calem's change was slid onto the table, which he carefully counted to double-check that it was the right amount.

"Come on, dude! The notes are too hard! It's just homework!"

Calem took the bag of his purchase and his book off the table and turned to leave. Without even responding to the slacker on the job, he left the store without looking back. "Good riddance. At least for now." He pulled his hood back up and ran off back to his house.

 **~X~**

Once Riley stood in front of the door to the treehouse, he lost any and all confidence he had in himself. _I don't wanna do this_ , he pathetically thought.

Dawn, on the other hand, was living in peaceful ignorance. She opened the door without a second thought and pulled Riley in with her. He followed her with a stunned look on his face, only collecting himself when Dawn squealed in delight. "Hey, guys!"

Looking up, Riley caught three other people in the room with him. Serena and Moon were sitting next to each other on plastic chairs, facing away from the front door; Moon was trying her best not to cry as Serena comforted her by patting her shoulder. At the corner of the room, Ash was passed out with a hand over his stomach, and the other over his eyes, holding his hat.

Riley, yet to have been spotted, wasn't sure if he should run or make himself noticed. The fact that the two girls in front of him were having a private moment made him even more uncomfortable and unsure. _What happened? I can't believe I'm thinking this, but where's Calem,_

"Moon, I'm _so_ sorry about what happened last week. I just, I… I don't know. They were my friends from school, and I just didn't know how to react. They're _really_ vain and shallow sometimes, and I thought that if I separated us ASAP, they wouldn't tease you," Serena said. _There is no good excuse for it. There is_ no _excuse for it. I shouldn't have waited for so long to say this_.

"B-but, I said that it's fine, Serena!" Moon reassured her unsuccessfully. _I said we can just drop this. I didn't mind it that much. I get it._

"Your face and voice say otherwise." Serena pulled out a handkerchief and passed it over to Moon. "I'm just sorry. There's no real explanation behind what I did than I… I was being selfish. I kinda have a reputation with my friends, so-"

"What about us?" Moon patted the cloth at her eye, only to feel a warm drop of liquid slide down her cheek after she dropped it. _Are they really her friends?_

"Well, uh, it's just different, y'know? Please, I'm begging you, Moon. I really do feel horrible about that, and for my friends, so please forgive me!" _I'll wear my heart on my sleeve right now. Please just believe me, Moon._

"It's really okay, Serena," Moon said, noticing a tear stuck at the corner of the other girl's eye. _I'm just glad we can hang out at all. I know you, I'm sure of it, and the you with those three girls wasn't you_. She picked up a dry corner of the handkerchief and went to dab Serena's eye with it.

She successfully made contact with her skin, but failed in another department. Instead of precisely hitting the patch of skin to the side of her eye, Moon ended up poking her _in_ the eye. "Ow! The hell are you doin'?"

Moon held both her hands a few inches before Serena's face and looked left and right. "S-sorry!" But, contrary to what it looked like, Moon wasn't worried. She was actually trying her hardest not to laugh. A scoff escaped her, then a shaky breath. Then, a rough, wild, and warm guffaw. "Ha ha, I-I swear, I'm sorry! Ha ha!"

"Why're you laughing, then?" Serena put a hand on Moon's cheek and grabbed it, wearing an exaggerated, fake smile. "Sorry, huh?"

"Yeah, yes! Ha ha!" This gained her two tight pinches on the cheeks.

"Ooh, Moon!" Serena pushed Moon's head away from hers and yanked her handkerchief back. Then, she proceeded to playfully whack her friend with the cloth, all the while saying, "Hmm? Hmm?!"

"Uncle! Uncle!" Moon kept giggling, prompting Serena to follow. Eventually, they calmed down and just laughed together, hugging all the while.

The scene made Riley both embarrassed and smile. _Don't think I should have seen that. But, still… they get along well. It's a nice sight. And Dawn…_ The girl went up behind the two others and gave them a hug, trying her best to be included, laughing as well.

Ash had stirred at the sound and groggily sat up. "What happened?" _Practice was killer today._ He looked to see Serena and Moon laughing like mad men. A smile came onto his face as he put his baseball cap back on. Standing up and looking to his right, he noticed the other guy in the room. "Oh, Riley, you came!"

Riley froze and held his breath. _Goddamnit, Ash_. The two girls separated and looked at the newcomer. Moon offered a welcoming wave with both hands, and Serena stiffly held a hand up. Returning the gesture, Riley dragged his feet over to a chair set around a table, opposite the two girls, and tossed his contribution of food onto the table.

Before he could take note of anything else, someone entered the treehouse. Calem came in holding a black plastic bag and five metal spoons, wearing an annoyed expression. "You all came," he said through grit teeth. "How _wonderful_."

"We all agreed on it." Serena crossed her arms and put a hand over her mouth. _You came yourself._

"So, what did you guys bring?" Ash asked, putting both of his palms on the table and hopping in place. Riley took the chance to look at the plethora of goodies on the table. "I brought the drinks, but sorry that they're warm. They were in the car for a while." A two liter bottle of soda and several small bottles of sports drinks were in front of Ash.

"Candy!" Moon sang, picking up a sack of out of date Halloween-themed sweets from the previous year. "They're _not_ expired, I swear!" _They didn't even ask, though..._

"I brought some baked goods," Serena mumbled. In front of her was a platter of cookies that everyone just knew that she baked herself.

Calem gently placed his bag on the table, as well as the spoons, and stepped away. Serena pulled the plastic down around its contents to expose his carton of ice cream, the package of napkins, and his philosophy book. He quickly swiped the book away before anyone could say anything.

"Uh, y-yeah," Riley said, poking his bag of chips. _Smooth_.

Ash immediately shot for the bag of chips, ripping it open and digging in without waiting for anyone. That provided the only relief from the tense, suffocating atmosphere of the treehouse. _Why's everybody so stiff right now?_

Calem cleared his throat loudly, calling all attention to him. "Care to indulge us as to why you summoned us all here, Collins?"

Serena sneered and rolled her eyes. _Nice diction_. _How hard was it to formulate that sentence?_ "Always straight to business with you, huh?"

"And you care why?" Calem faced Serena as he slapped Ash's hand for dropping a chip on the floor. "Don't make a mess here."

"Sorry." Ash was being sarcastic. In Calem's opinion, it was a wonder that he understood sarcasm at all. "Five second rule."

Everyone stared at Ash as he proceeded to pick up and consume the snack he just dropped on the old, dusty, musty, and potentially moldy wood floor. "So…" Moon started, swiping a cookie from the plate.

"Anything, uh, interesting happen to any of you lately?" Riley pathetically asked. His voice cracked halfway through, and clearing his throat only made him next to inaudible. Not five feet from him, the carving on the wall from years ago mocked him. _Surprised Calem didn't cover it up_

"No, and even if something did, I wouldn't tell, not even if you implored me to." Calem sat on the seat directly opposite Serena, resulting in a staring match.

"Nobody would want to. Stop it with the fancy words. Not using colloquialisms just makes you look douchey." Serena never broke eye contact, even when she reached for a cookie of her own.

"Amazed you know what that word means, Serena. Bravo."

"Amazed you-"

"Okay, guys!" Ash clapped his hands together and stood up. "Come on, this is a party! Let's have fun!"

Calem could feel his blood pressure rising as Ash said this with an oblivious smile. "I did _not_ agree to this meeting for a _party_. Especially with _you_ all."

"What for?" Moon asked as she stole the bag of chips from Ash's grip. _Hey, might as well make the most of this. Free junk._

"Did you have to invite - ow!" Serena dropped the cookie she bit into and touched her teeth. _Goddamnit, it still hurts like shit._ "Moon, you lied."

"What did I do? These are soft ones, even! You're being a big puss right now," Moon nonchalantly said. _I recovered from my visit_ _already._

"Don't change the subject," Calem said, narrowing his eyes at Serena.

"You okay, Serena?" Ash asked.

The distinct focuses of each person in the conversation was enough to make Riley's head spin. _Serena and Calem clashing with each other, Ash going with the flow and not being serious, Moon only giving little odd quips here and there, Dawn whispering in my ear._ _This is chaos. Who can talk like this? No wonder Calem is being so bitter._ "Guys, what are we even doing?"

The babbling of the four other people continued as Dawn snuck food from the table for herself. "Riley, what's happenin'?"

"Guys." Riley raised his voice ever so slightly, still too embarrassed and anxious to call major attention to himself.

"I have no time for such meaningless activities. Goodbye." Calem turned around and put his hand on the doorknob.

"Good riddance!" Serena sang with a smug, toothy smile.

"Oh, hey, nice braces, Serena!" Ash couldn't help but compliment her. She immediately felt self-conscious and closed her mouth.

"Yeah, you make it work," Moon whispered. "But, uh, is this all that's gonna happen right now?"

Riley was not in the mood for standing by as everyone just clashed against each other like they were. _I came this far, and I'm not gonna have wasted time coming here._ "Guys!" he shouted.

Everyone else in the room stopped shuffling about as Riley took the spotlight. "You go, Riley!" Dawn cheered.

"We're all gonna sit down, eat, and _not_ fight tonight. Got it?" He looked everyone in the eye and took his own seat. One by one, everyone followed his lead, even Calem. "Now, Ash, talk."

"You got it, Riley!" Ash stared at his knuckles before continuing. "But, hey, are you mad about what happened-"

"No, I'm not. Just start talking before Calem does." Serena snickered at this.

"Okay. The reason why I wanted everybody here was to have a party with Dawn!"

Calem loudly sighed and said, "That's it. I'm out." Serena yanked on his sleeve and forced him to sit back down.

"No, hey, listen, man! Riley said that he can see Dawn. Wait, Riley, is she here right now?" The young man nodded and Ash continued. Dawn held up double peace signs with a cheeky smile. "So, it's the six of us together again! It's been so long since we've hung out. Don't you miss the good old days? Well, I do."

"That's wishful thinking, Collins," Calem said, trying to pull his arm out of Serena's surprisingly strong grip of two fingers. "How delusional are you all to just listen to that nonsense? Really, have none of you changed?"

"I'd argue that you all changed _too much_ ," Riley muttered to himself.

Calem pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again. "Be-before anything else, who here actually believes that 'Dawn' is here?"

Ash and Moon's hands shot up into the air, followed by Riley's as Dawn grabbed it with one hand and raised both of her own. Serena then lifted her own at a small angle, resting her elbow on her thigh to make her action not so obvious. "What are you getting at? Majority rules, no?" She quickly dropped her hand.

"Yeah, dude, relax." Ash picked up the chip bag that Moon had take from him, which she abandoned since she realized that she was the only person eating.

"No, no, I am very much what you people call 'chill,' you see." Calem smirked

"'You people,' he says," Serena said to Moon, getting a cheap laugh in return. "Actually, don't use slang. You look like a fool."

"This isn't a party anymore, is it? Never to have been to begin with, either." Riley leaned into his chair and stared at the ceiling.

"I don't get it," Dawn simply said, watching as Calem became even more smug by standing up with his hands on his hips.

"Contrary to what you probably think of me, I feel quite relieved. Thank you so much, Riley, for taking this weight off my shoulders." Calem walked over to shake Riley's hand.

"You feeling alright?"

"Perfectly fine, thank you for asking. But, the point is that, well, _I_ can see Dawn as well." The room was silent as everyone soaked in what he just said. The hard, crass, sardonic, fact-based Calem that they knew just said that he believed that he saw a spirit. He had said it in all seriousness, not an ounce of sarcasm or whimsy in his voice. And he wasn't one to jest. "I've been plagued by visions of her several times when I went outside over the past month. That's why I was so reluctant to believe you, and so harsh on you for saying what you have, Riley."

"Come again?" Riley refused to believe what he was saying. But, at the same time, he just had to know.

"What?" Serena said shrilly.

"Hah?" Dawn was still confused.

"I said that I saw Dawn as well." Calem didn't falter at all with his words.

"Are you insane?" Serena couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, how the tables have turned," Riley said to himself.

"Will you allow me to explain, or continue to act in such disbelief?"

"Nah, say it, man! Where did you see her?" Ash was almost bursting at the seams in anticipation.

"Do tell," Serena said with one eye threatening to close from being ticked off, almost a harsh wink.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh," was all Moon could say.

"Very well. It's quite simple." He paused to smirk. Turning to Riley, he breathed out in relief. _Oh, these poor souls_ "By the floodplain."

Riley felt his heart sink at the mentioning if the floodplain. _No… no more._ He gulped and turned to Dawn with eyes begging for an answer. "Oh, really?"

Dawn looked even more confused than she had been. "Huh? I haven't been there at all lately. I've been with you the whole time, Riley! I wonder what he means."

"Yes, really." Calem sat down and picked up a spoon, then cracked open the tub of liquidy ice cream that had been left out in the heat for just _too_ long. Taking a spoonful that started dripping off the utensil, he said, "Is something the matter?"

The whole scoop was shoveled into his mouth. His body seemed to reject the cloying sweetness of the treat, but he forced himself to swallow it in one. _Far too old for this. Never had a sweet tooth begin with. But, if I retreat now,_ she'll _never let me hear the end of it._

"She said that she never went there."

"Well, I know what I saw, and I never lie." It would have worked in Calem's favor had he not been wearing that smug smile of his the whole time. _I'm not lying_.

Silence rang true as nobody knew how to counter what Calem just said. "Are you sure?" Dawn asked. Riley parroted it for her.

"Yes, I'm sure," Calem said.

"Are you _sure_ you're _sure_?" Dawn asked again. Riley refused to repeat it.

 _Badgering him will get us nowhere. I just wish it wasn't so hard to talk around them. Hey, Dawn, maybe that's your wish._ Riley asked, "The floodplain?"

Ash answered in place of Calem. _I know. I got this._ "Yeah, ghosts haunt the places they died, don't they? Of course she would be there!"

 _Ash, you imbecile!_ Riley winced at Ash's obliviousness. Calem pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. The girls just stood there with nothing else to do except gape at the boy laughing to himself, thinking that he had said something smart. Riley said through grit teeth, "That's _very_ nice of you to pitch in, Ash."

"Yeah! Am I right, or am I right?" Ash gave a huge smile that was hard to not reciprocate on its own, but hard to call socially acceptable in their positions. _What's got them all up in in a bunch?_

"Ash, please shut up," Moon muttered loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room. Dawn gave a lighthearted chuckle at this.

Serena turned to face Calem. Pointing a finger at him, she said, "You're lying. I know you are, Thompson. What aren't you telling us?"

Calem smirked and wagged his own index finger in a circle. "Now, now, withholding information isn't the same as lying, now is it, Serena? Besides, I have yet to say anything of the sort." He got a growl in response

The creaking of a door on its hinges caught everybody's attention. Ash opened it and was shaking with anticipation. "Come on, let's go, guys!"

"Go where?" Serena asked. _This is all going too fast. There's no order to anything that's happening, either._

"The floodplain! We can go there and catch Dawn!" Without another word, Ash jetted out of the treehouse at full speed, practically jumping off the platform outside onto the ground directly.

Serena had her head facing the opposite side of the door, but was slowly inching towards the exit. _Maybe this can be my chance to talk to him again. Better than staying in the same room as Calem, that's for sure._ Once within close range of the door, she turned and ran out, clamouring down the rope ladder without any grace. "Ash, wait for me!"

"Uh, um, uh…" Moon stammered. She gestured wildy, unclearly at the door and was darting her eyes back and forth between the exit and the two other boys uncontrollably. _What do I do? What do I do?! They left, so I should probably go, too…_ Moon dropped her arms and hung her head, turning her back on Calem and Riley. "Here we go!" she awkwardly shouted loudly and out of nowhere. Fist pumping and succumbing to peer pressure, she left the treehouse next, calling out desperately for Serena to slow down.

Riley and Calem remained, both of which didn't seem to enjoy the current situation. "So?" Calem asked, walking over to the door and tapping his long fingers on it. "What are you going to do now, Reyes?"

 _Now he's calling me by my last name? What's going trough his head? I'm not Serena._ Riley blinked once the hardest he could, lingering on the feeling as he tried to sort everything out in his head. "What is happening?"

"Shall we?" Calem asked. Surprisingly enough, he was gesturing to the door. _You can't trust them to their own devices. Honestly, these immature…_

"What?" Riley ran a hand through his hair. Beside him, Dawn had been tilting her head to the right for the past few minutes as nothing she hear made sense. Her head was close to hitting the table beside her, but her eyes were set on her watch. One minute had passed since Ash ran out. _How long have I been standing here like this? It feels like an eternity_ , he thought.

Calem only left the treehouse, walking to the beat of his own drum (or, in this case, the violin playing in his ears). Shoving his hands into his pockets, he strolled on down the one path he knew to the floodplain.

It took another good minute before Riley came back to his senses. Dawn had started tugging on his arm, groaning about being left behind. "Wait…" he trailed off, looking at the girl beside him. "Dawn's right here."

"But everyone else is gone. Let's go!" Dawn went behind him and started pushing him on the back to start moving. _What was Calem talking about? I never went out._

Riley took the hint and dragged his feet outside. Once he was on the grass, he lightly jumped as it hit him that he just _had_ to find out what Calem was talking about. In an instant, he started running, racing his own heartbeat to get to the floodplain and see if there was, in fact, a Dawn there. _No, I'm not crazy. I'm not! Dawn's right here. She is… right?_

"Hey, slow down!" Dawn shouted between breaths as she ran as fast as her stubby legs could take her (stubby, at least, in comparison to Riley, who was well taller than her). _We're gonna find another me? How does that work? It's kinda exciting though, huh?_

After several minutes of confident long strides, the two in last place in the race to Chanswell Floodplain started slowing down. Riley, who had never over-exerted himself physically before due to spending most of his time inside at his computer, kept running, but was breathing heavily as his destination became closer and closer. The pounding of his shoes on the asphalt road was the only sound of the night. Trees one by one passed him by as he didn't stop moving for a second. Street lamps which were lining the streets became sparse as he went along a road less traveled by.

The only thing on his mind was finding out the truth. _What is going on? Is Dawn really here? What does Calem have to do with any of this? Why him? Why not anyone else? What's waiting for me at the floodplain?_ It took five more minutes of running for them to make it due to Dawn not being able to keep up and Riley losing his confidence in going to the floodplain. He had even ran one block in the wrong direction on purpose once his head went quiet for a while. They still made it, though.

When he was only a minute from stumbling down the stairs leading to the floodplain, Riley stopped and hunched over, pressing an arm against a plank of wood of a fence preventing people from tumbling down a gentle, grassy slope to the hard rock shore of the floodplain.

The fence he was leaning on had good memories. Typically in the summer time, the six of them would sit on the fence in a line as the sun's rays landed direct hits on them. All they did was sit there and talk, and laugh, and _enjoy life_. The body of water behind them would wash up and down on the rocky shore below, providing pleasant background noise. The wind would blow on the fully bloomed flowers on the patch of grass directly opposite them and make things even more colorful. Presently, the fence was old, decrepit, and on the verge of collapse. No one would be sitting on it any time soon.

It had been years since Riley ever set foot anywhere near Chanswell Floodplain. After the incident of the past, he was scared, plain and simple. It haunted him to no bounds. _Dawn… It all happened because of me_. It suddenly became hard to breathe, and not just because he had yet to recover from his running.

There it was before him. The place where time stopped moving first. The starting point of where everything changed. It was there, not even thirty yards in front of him where _it_ happened. He himself had never seen the scene of the crime with his own eyes, but he could tell it well enough on his own. In the distance was a break in the fence. Lazily covering it were two long strips of yellow tape reading "Caution! Do not cross!" intersecting in an X shape. Had it not been there, it would have been so easy to just fall off the plateau when standing at the break in the fence. An orange and white blockade stood in front of the gap in addition to the tape, preventing any sane person from running off and falling down.

Below the yellow tape was a rock formation as opposed to the shore. Jagged stone peaked out from the water. A menacing sight. A killer one. Before the blockade was a concrete road that was notorious for having a knack for icing over easily. Putting two and two together, Riley didn't even want to finish the equation (despite math being his best subject). _Dawn… Why did it have to happen? Why couldn't I just… Ugh!_

What snapped him out of his internal strife momentarily was Ash. He called out, "Daaaawn! Where are you?" He cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.

Moon followed and shouted out, "You there?" After her exclamation, she ducked her head and looked at Serena.

Riley longingly gazed into the distance. _What would it take… What I would give to go back in time…_ "Dawn?" His throat was so dry.

"I still don't get it, Riley. I'm right here, no?" Dawn hesitated descending the stairs, tapping her foot lightly on the first one down. _Guys, I'm here! I wish everyone could see me._

Riley walked up to her, dragging his feet, arms barely moving, eyes empty. Once close enough, he grabbed her hand and said, "You're right here. You are. I know you are." He tightened his grip on her with each sentence. "Still here. You're still the same."

Lifelessly, Riley guided them down the steps one at a time. Dawn let him pull her along as their friends waited on the stretch of the floodplain along the water.

"We're getting nowhere," Serena said as she dug her foot into a patch of sand. _The entire time we've been here, the two of them have just been spinning around in circles and calling out her name. Even if it's just been a few minutes. Just God fucking damn it. Just shut up._

"Do you see where I'm coming from now, Serena?" Calem said, approaching her. He had just arrived a few minutes earlier, slothfully slinking along without any sign of urgency. Serena refused to meet his gaze, instead walking up to Ash and putting a gentle hand on his arm. _How transparent are you, Serena?_

Walking up to Ash, Riley couldn't find the words to say anything. _What can I say? What should I say? Would they believe me?_ Dawn tugging on his sleeve gave him some direction to go in. "Ash, ho-"

"Hey, Calem, where have you seen her?" Ash shouted, startling Riley. "We've walked the whole stretch of the path, all over the shore, where else? Oh, hey, Riley."

"Y-yeah," was all Riley could being himself to say. _Why am I so pathetic?_

Calem walked up to Ash and crossed his arms. "If you had _listened_ to me instead of insisting on treading every square inch of this area, I would have told you that I saw her on the path, not down here."

"Alright, then," Ash said and started towards the stairs.

Riley gulped, squeezing Dawn's hand. _Wait, just wait._ "Ash, stop." Riley turned to Calem as said boy turned back towards them. Serena scowled at Calem. _At least it's not directed at me._ "Calem, please."

"Please, what?"

Taking a shaky breath, Riley let go of Dawn's hand and curled his own into a fist. "I need to know. What, uh, what was Dawn… wearing?" _Was he seeing the same Dawn that I am?_ In reality, he was just desperate for any reassurance. Looking her up and down, Riley noted that she was wearing the same outfit that she appeared to him in.

Raising an eyebrow, Calem sighed. "Seriously?" Riley nodded. Dawn looked down inquisitively at her get-up. "As you so wish. A… navy blue dress with a pink cardigan."

Biting his lip was Riley's first inclination. "R-really, now?"

Calem nodded. "And her hair looked like"-he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose-"it did when she got it freshly dyed. Blue. And she was laughing the whole time."

In the background, Serena slumped over and stepped behind Ash. Putting a hand to her mouth, she resisted the sound threatening to come out. _Mm, of course. Always so happy. So cute. So lively. Why the hell Calem and Riley? I thought it would hurt less that I couldn't see her, but it's obviously worse._

"Ding ding," Dawn sang in a low voice without moving. Her appearance matched Calem's description to a t. The wind blew her clothes and hair every which way. _But… I've never seen him without Riley with me._ The faint smell of chemicals from her hair permeated her senses.

Riley's heart dropped. _What does this mean? Did Dawn… Is she lying about staying with me? No, she doesn't do that. Is Calem lying? No, I'm sure he's not either. So what's happening? Are there two Dawns? Or is something else going on?_

Ash spoke up first. "Sounds like something she would wear." His voice was deep and monotone. Then, like a switch flipped, he said, "Let's go find her, then."

They then set out. They split up, two (technically three) people going left at the road by the floodplain, three going right. Moon - who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the duration of their meeting - with Riley and Dawn went left. The latter two paired up and ran ahead, leaving Moon to stumble along alone as she kept checking to make _damn sure_ that she didn't miss anything.

Calem, Serena, and Ash went right. Serena stuck close to Ash, making sure he never got too far away from her, scared of being left behind. Together, they went ahead as Calem bitterly trudged along, looking back and forth at the scenery, trying to find what they were there for.

Every so often, Calem would glance straight ahead and see two faint silhouettes walking rather close to each other, heads whipping left and right, the occasional shout coming from one of them. He kept frowning as the absurdity of the situation hit him. _Look at this mess. How long are we supposed to be looking for something that's not even here? Dawn… this is you're mess. What are you going to do about it?_

"Dawn!" Ash shouted from ahead.

Scoffing, Calem unintentionally let his eyes wander to the two ahead of him. From what he could make out (which was not much since he didn't have his glasses on), Serena was grabbing on to the sleeve of Ash's jacket as they walked on together. He could only tell who was who by squinting, noting one figure to be wearing a baseball cap that encompassed happiness and carefreeness (which he absolutely _despised_ ) and the other with long hair let down (a rarity) and a presence that was always at least one step _ahead_ of him, be it literally or figuratively.

He scowled and couldn't help but think, _So far away. Sure have everything wrapped around your pretty little finger, huh, Lanier? Is this what you wanted? Something I could never give you, and could never be? Guess "friends" really is an empty term._ He noticed Ash grabbing Serena by the hand; his eyes and face ached from squinting so hard. _Have it your way, Serena. Not like I wanted to ever be involved with all of you. Never have I to have wanted it at all. One more year, and I won't have to see this sorry town again, though. Just one more._

"Whoa, Serena, are you okay?" Ash caught her as she stumbled. She almost fell onto him had he not been paying attention to the girl who was obviously out of it. _I'm a little worried. You're acting kinda weird._

Flinching away as soon as she got her bearings, she could feel her face flush from embarrassment. _What did I do?_ She said, "S-sorry, Ash! I there was uneven ground, and I-"

He chuckled lightly and clasped her shoulder with one hand, the other still holding hers. "It's alright, Serena. I got you. You good?"

The sound of his reliable voice comforted Serena. _He always manages to be so warm. Even now, when we're all focused on Dawn. I wonder… How much was he affected by her… thing? Ash, you're somewhat of a hero, huh? Always so cheerful, bright, happy…_ "I'm good. Th-thank you." She blushed again and took a step forwards.

"No prob!" he said. _I really hope she means that. She always talks funny. Says one thing, means another… or two things, even. Oh, well. She's here, at least._ "Let's keep looking."

 **~X~**

Riley was speed walking the fastest he could. It wasn't that quick since he was still recovering from his run over to the floodplain, but he refused to show his exhaustion. _I need to get to the bottom of this. Where is she? The other she?_

"Riley, what are we looking for? I'm here." _I know I am. I'll keep saying it._ He was subconsciously holding her hand and dragging her along, despite her occasional protest.

"Calem's not going to be direct about this. Where is she?" He sent empty soda can soaring in the air with a swift kick. _I don't even know what I'm looking for. Damn it all._

"But, I'm tired." She wasn't really. Dawn just tried to find anything to weasel out of the search they were on. _My head is spinning. Why can't anyone ever just say what they want?_

Meanwhile, Moon kept lagging behind, moving at the pace of a zombie. _Everyone's… gone. I'm left behind? No, no,_ she told herself. She grabbed at her hair and pulled it down to snap herself out of her daze. _I'll find Dawn. I'm gonna see her. Calem could do it, and he's acting all prickly like a turd. Things'll work out._

 **~X~**

After about an hour or so later, Calem sent out a text. No one had yet to come up with any news regarding the elusive Dawn.

 _Regroup. Now. By the steps. That's enough._

Plain, simple, direct, and effective. "They can't be that desperate and delusional. Perhaps I should have told them this to begin with," he said to himself. He launched a browser application on his phone and started to read up on calculus. "What is this even saying? It doesn't make sense…"

One by one, everyone received the message. Serena looked over Ash's shoulder shyly to read it. "Ah, well, we tried," he said. It was obvious that he was clenching his jaw as he said this. _Okay, just step back. I'll find her. I will. Dawn… wait for us. For me._

"Yeah…" was all Serena could say. _Already? Come off it, Calem._

 **~X~**

Riley checked his phone and read the message three times over. _Why didn't you just go back by yourself, then?_ He looked up once he started feeling a light spray of cold water hit his face. Rain fell like dust to the earth, creating a beautiful sight in the light. _It's gonna pour, isn't it? It has been doing that lately._ He grabbed Dawn's hand again and started running, not wanting to stay out longer than he had to. _I'll get this out of Calem. I'll make sure of it._

Moon, on the other hand, didn't get the message. Her phone was in her bag, which she left in Calem's treehouse. Currently, she had walked all around the stretch of the floodplain and road already, and was taking a break by the fence. She was leaning on the link of fence right next to the blockade, looking down at the rock formation with empty eyes. _This sure is something. I thought this year would be just like all the others. Now, we're on a chase for Dawn, all together, and talking? I'm not sure whether or not I want this to last forever. It's happening, but I'm pretty sure that no one is enjoying this. Fuck, man._

Further to her left, past the blockade - which had an odd gap at the top between it and the fence due to it having a trapezoidal shape - was the stairs, and further yet was more fence, and where Calem was leaning. He was too far away for her to see him, and zoning out like he was in deep thought.

Soon enough, Serena and Ash came along. Serena was holding a hand perpendicular to her forehead to prevent the sprinkling rain from getting into her eyes. Noticing this, Ash offered his cap to her in good jest, which she took gratefully and put on bashfully. "Thank you," she whispered. Calem watched the scene with an unbelievable poker face.

They stood around quietly with Calem, waiting for the other two people to arrive. Minutes later, Riley came lightly jogging along. _Of course they're already there._ He quickened his pace further, but almost came to a screeching halt once he noticed Moon to his right. _What the hell?_

She loudly sighed, not realizing that anybody was within a ten yard radius. Her head was dipped down, still staring wistfully at the environment below. Arms hung over the edge like a pendulum coming to a stop. She was shaking her left leg over the edge, behind the barricade and over the rocks. _I'm tired. Mom's making me study alone tomorrow, too! And then there's the whole dance thing…_ _Ugh, I feel like I'm falling._

Riley froze, breath hitching. _What is she doing?!_ Ever so closely, she was subconsciously inching towards the gap in the fence, leaning without bothering to correct herself. She was like like a shell of her former self; no longer lively, she was lifeless. It was far too close to _it_. All it would take was one slip… or perhaps an intentional leap. _Please tell me otherwise._ He called out, with his voice laced with desperation, "Moon!" Then he _ran_.

She, along with the three others heard his call. The three turned their heads and started walking towards Riley. On the other hand, Moon was caught severely off guard. She rigidly turned to her right and instinctively jumped back. Too far back. Behind her, there was nothing to bounce off of on the rebound. The barricade only provided something for her to further trip over.

"Ach!" She blindly grabbed in front of her for _anything_ to keep her from falling. To her left was the segment of wooden fence which she was just leaning on. Darkness and panic wiped its existence from her mind. She ended up waving her arms wildly as the rest of her body refused to cooperate, stunned at the sudden shock of losing ground.

Dawn felt her heart sink as she just froze, putting a hand to her mouth as she saw not the consequence of the fall for Moon (which couldn't comprehend), but the feelings she had in the moment. _All eyes are on her. And she's falling and flailing so embarrassingly. Oh, Moon…_

Before anyone knew it, a knight in slightly-tarnished armor arrived. Once Moon had cried out, everything went in slow motion for everyone. Like a hero, Riley appeared just in time, right before things went too far. He grabbed Moon's hand and caught her, held her, stopped her before she was lost.

 _Unlike Dawn_.

Once he latched onto Moon, he relaxed. _She's… safe_. _Right?_ So, he just held her there. She stood on the ground at an odd angle as he anchored her down, hanging over the rocks and past the blockade. _Don't fall. No one can take it. Please…_

 _Holy shit, I'm saved. I'm_ damn _lucky. Yet_ … She let out a heavy breath and looked down, seeing the menacing land below. _Why me? Why couldn't_ Dawn _be saved, then? I don't deserve it._

Riley came to in a reasonable amount of time. After he pulled Moon back to a safe standing spot, everyone else ran over. Riley said, "Moon, are you… y'know?"

With everyone looking at her for the answer that _only_ she knew, Moon gulped. _So much pressure._ "Yeah, I'm good." _Or am I? Disappearing like that… Dawn, do you have any worries right now? Ha, I doubt it. All you have to do is sit back and watch. Then… how come when I did that, I didn't feel good either?_

"Are you sure?" Serena gave her hand a firm squeeze. _Please be honest about this. Don't be so shy and modest about things like this._ "You can tell us."

"Mm, nothing broken, at least. Ha, ha." Her laugh was anything but reassuring. _Don't focus on me like that, guys._ "I'm fine. Sorry I caused a commotion. Thanks for having my back, Riley. Guess I was just zoning out." _I'm sorry I ruined the mood. Jeez, self, what a party pooper. Aren't I always holding everyone back. But, I'm still here. Alive._

"No problem," Riley whispered, drowned out by the rain starting to come down harder.

"Whoa!" Ash dramatically shouted and jumped. Giving a cheap chuckle, he said, "Night's been pretty crazy, huh?"

"Thanks to you, Collins, yes," Calem said. He rolled his eyes and frowned harder as several consecutive raindrops hit him in the eyes. "None of this would have happened had we _not_ met up. We would have still been in the _comfort_ of our own homes if we didn't waste out time here."

"Just shut up," was all Serena said.

"How nice." The rain came down on them like arrows set off by an army of archers on enemy lines. Calem scoffed and said, "This is a lost cause."

Serena, usually quick to counter her neighbor, couldn't help but reluctantly agree. _We've been out for hours. Now it's even raining._ _What are we even looking for? A ghost? It's not worth it, is it?_ She said dejectedly, "Guys, it's getting pretty late. I don't know about you, but I have to go somewhere tomorrow. Why don't we go back?" That was all it took to deflate the small balloon of hope everyone had.

"No going to fight me? That's new," Calem said, rubbing salt into her wound. _Enough with your pride, Serena. Do you really think all of us should be wasting our time doing this?_

"Bite me," she muttered. _But, here we are, looking for Dawn. Dawn. Why is it_ always _her?_ _She's not even… alive._

"Y-yeah!" Moon said, having stayed silent for the majority of their time out. _Why can't I ever offer more than one-word answers? I even gave it too late._

Ash groaned and hit his head several times. "Jeez, I guess you're right. I don't think we can do much in the dark and rain, huh?" _But we were so close to finding her. I can feel it._

Dawn bit her lip and forced herself to stay quiet. _No one wants to be here_. Everyone was just standing in the rain with their heads hung and frowns decorating their faces. She looped her arm around Riley's and pulled him in the direction they came from. _I did this to them._

"Guys, Dawn's right here next to me," Riley said on his own. He pressed her arm closer to him. "She has been the whole night."

Serena said with a bitter look, "You could have said that in the first place." _What goose chase are we going on now?_

"Could I have?" His counter was barely there.

"Hey, let's just meet up again later, alright? We'll find her," Ash said.

"But, isn't she-"

"Unless we all want to catch colds, I suggest we go back home," Calem said with snark, cutting Moon off.

"Fine…" Riley trailed off. _So hostile. Because of a little rain? Because of Moon almost falling? Because of me making the decision to meet tonight?_

They ran. In complete silence other than the rain and their panting breaths, the lot of them ran back to Calem's treehouse. For Dawn, it was more like she was just being pulled along, though. _What went wrong? Could they all have gotten along?_

Once in front of the Thompson household, Calem asked, "Why are you all following me?"

"My shit's inside," Serena growled. Moon and Ash let out sounds of agreement.

"Of course." He pressed two fingers to his forehead.

They all clamoured through his house, into the shelter of the treehouse, running away from the rain. Two of them shook the water off like dogs, while Calem just watched, unamused. Serena followed to piss him off. Riley just walked over and sat back down in the same plastic chair he had taken hours earlier. _This didn't change anything._

"Take your things and leave." Calem walked over to close the windows, not even looking back to see everyone else's responses. _Let's break it to them now. That is, if they'll even believe me._ He sighed, then said, "Dawn talked to me once when I saw her."

The Dawn beside Riley scrunched her nose. "I never met him without you, Riley." _But, why is he saying this stuff?_

"She said, 'I can handle this on my own. I want everyone to stop stressing about me like they are. Stop looking for me. Grow up and live.' I believe that was verbatim." Calem had yet to look back. "And she finished by saying, 'No need to worry.'"

"You're a liar," Serena whispered. _Of all people, I_ refuse _to believe she appeared to_ him _. What did he ever do? Why not me? Or at least Moon._

"As I said before, I am not, I assure you."

"But, that doesn't sound like something she would say," Ash said. "At least the first part."

"I had that thought as well." Calem's calm was unsettling. _Please leave it at this before I have a stroke._

"But, how can we not worry?" Moon bit her thumb.

"That's your problem, not mine. Unlike you all, I am capable of following instructions and walking away."

"Walking away or _running_?" Serena spat.

"Very funny." Calem's back was still turned to them. "You might want to go home before the rain gets even _heavier_ , hmm?"

"Fine," Serena said after a minute. _He's not going to be of any help any time soon._

"Off you go," Calem simply said. The smug of his tone was almost noxious. Yet, there was a distinct lack of the sound of shuffling behind him. He refused to show any sign that he cared, though. _I doubt any of them are so graceful and calm as to exit so quietly._

After a time, the sound of the jingling of a chain gave him some satisfaction. A chair scooting back bumped up his level. It was all going according to plan, but his envisioned ending was disrupted. The unusual clanking of metal made him turn around. "What do you think you're doing?" he snapped.

Ash had taken a seat and picked up a spoon from the table, hovering it over the tub of ice cream, now melted completely. "Can't let this go to waste, can we?"

Calem incredulously scoffed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but are you okay up there?" He pointed at his own head.

"What?" Ash had taken a dripping spoonful of the dairy product and proceeded to shove it in his mouth. "Still kinda cold. It's still good. You bought it, didn't you?"

"Uh, I think I can afford to discard a tub of something as childish as ice cream that has completely turned liquid."

"No, come on!" Ash kept trying. "Everyone, there's more than enough. Like old times!"

This tempted Dawn very much so. But, the whole night had her stomach twisted in knots. _There's only one me, right? But, Calem_ doesn't _lie? And nothing is different from what I hated so much._

"Feel free to take that with you, but all of you should leave." Calem slapped his hands onto the table.

Feeling rebellious and not tired at all, Serena decided to take a seat at the table opposite Ash. She dropped her bag next to her and picked up a spoon. "Actually, I could use a pick-me-up right now." She looked at Calem with an innocent facade. _Suck it._

She took a spoonful and held it a foot from her face. _But… how much sugar is in this junk? Ugh_ … Reluctantly, she ate it, letting the smooth, viscous liquid coat her mouth. "M-mm!" She was not convincing anybody.

Moon decided to follow them, sitting next to Serena and picking up a spoon, although more willingly than her friend. With similar excitement to Ash, she took a taste. "Yay," she said to herself.

Still sitting down, Riley found no harm in following suit. _Haven't eaten anything substantial yet today anyway. Here goes nothing._ "Instant regret," he said under his breath. _My heart is seizing up. Probably._

"Calem. Will you be joining us?" Serena said as she sat straight up. _Got you in a corner._

"I've had my fill already." _Two spoonfuls is more than enough for a lifetime._ "You're all sharing germs that way. Even more so since it's not solid anymore." Serena stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry for being such a _rude_ host. Could I"-Calem waltzed over to a group of sports drink bottles that Ash had brought in-"offer you all something to drink? Any particular flavor?" His head was slightly twitching. Sarcasm and reluctance tainted his voice.

Moon perked up. "Mm-hmm, blue please!"

Calem breathed out and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, blue… an excellent _flavor_."

She sheepishly laughed and ate more ice cream soup to stop herself from talking. Her requested drink was rolled over to her across the table as Calem took the last open seat and crossed his arms arms and legs.

Ten minutes wasn't enough for four of them to finish off the ice cream. They were halfway done and ready to barf. Serena glared at her neighbor and picked up the spoon that he had used earlier, filling it up. "Bottoms up." Then, she shoved the utinsel at Calem's face.

Catching him off guard, he got jabbed on the cheek by it. Flinching was his first reaction, causing the liquid to spill all over his cheek, dribbling down his face. "Thank you _so_ very much for that."

Everyone but the victim laughed lightly and was able to take down another spoonful. "Let's just finish this off together, Calem," Ash said.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Calem snatched the spoon from Serena and took a serving for himself, not even bothering took wipe the substance from his face. The whole time, he was giving Serena the hardest death glare he could muster. "Yes, _let's_." _And after this is over, I'll make sure of never seeing you all again._

Together, they emptied the tub. No one dared say anything, but they cooperated nonetheless. "I wish I had some," Dawn whispered and leaned onto Riley. _But I still feel sick._

"There. No more. All of you, leave, now." Calem shoved all the garbage into the bag he brought with him, then put all the leftovers (which was most of what was brought) into another. He shook it at Ash. "Take it."

"Huh? Oh, thanks, man," Ash said. _Not so big and mean, huh, Calem?_

"Don't get any ideas. Any of you. It's only that I recall Ash having a trash compactor for a stomach." Calem turned to leave without any other words. He went down several rungs on the rope ladder and gave them all one last look. "If I see any of you lingering here, I won't hesitate to call you out for trespassing." Then he was gone, heading out into the still-falling rain.

"Guess that's our cue," Moon said, wringing her hands together.

"Yeah," Riley muttered. _Was there even any net gain or loss to coming here?_

"Well, see you all later, heh." Moon scratched the back of her head. She locked eyes with Riley for a moment, then turned around. "Buh-bye!" Moon left next, whipping out an umbrella from her bag. _Guess always being over-prepared is a good thing sometimes._ Into the dark of night, she scurried ahead without another word. _I need to go home. Go to sleep. Get away. Forget tonight._

Riley wrinkled his nose, guilt washing over him from chickening out of going to school earlier that month. _See_ me _later? I haven't gone out for weeks. But, last time,_ _I gave her my word, didn't I? And Ash too. It wasn't even his fault I ran away from going to school..._

Ash spoke up next. "Well, Mom must be worried about me. I should get going. But, hey, Moon, I woulda drove you there if you waited a sec. Serena, Riley, wanna lift?"

Riley hesitated, but Serena diverted attention from him. "I live next door, though."

"It's pouring. I don't mind, I mean, I go that way too. Come on!" He smiled brightly and held a hand up.

Serena reciprocated the action. Shyly, she said, "Thanks."

"Not at all. What about you, Riley?"

"What?" Riley had been staring off at nothing. _I can't focus. I don't want to do anything. I feel brain dead._ "Oh, I, I'm good, Ash. I think I want to take a breather for a minute. I'll be fine."

Ash was about to say something, but Serena stopped him. She gave him a look and shook her head. "Give him some time," she whispered as she grabbed his arm. _Tonight has been a mess. Who knows how he feels about it. Plus… I'm here, Ash. Help me, too..._

"Right. Uh, see you 'round, man."

"Yeah," Riley barely managed to say. _If there will be a next time._ This left Riley alone with nothing but the rain and a quiet Dawn to keep him company. "Goddamnit. Just goddamnit."

"What's gonna happen?" she brought herself to ask. _I don't even know what to feel._

Riley didn't respond, just as back down and sighed. Dawn took the chair next to him and just sat there breathing. _Please let everything be alright._ An empty hour elapsed like that.

 **~X~**

Calem cracked open his calculus textbook. Flipping over to chapter two, his head immediately started spinning. _What is this supposed to even mean?!_ The chain rule was his nemesis. _I can read this all I want, but I don't get it!_ He started taking several shallow breaths before he copied down a practice problem onto a piece of loose leaf.

 _f (x)= sin (cos (tan (cot (x/3)))). Find f'(x)._

"What is this?!" He palmed his forehead and sat at his desk, just staring at the sample problem in front of him. _I don't get it. What does it want from me?!_ Everything beyond the piece of paper and the problem scrawled on it was forgotten by him. The cryptic text that might as well have been written in some ancient forgotten language mocked him. The sample problem of a similar caliber in the textbook gave him even more trouble. _It looks so simple, but it's not. It's not!_

He wasted a good hour just staring at the problem that made him feel like he was having a heart attack. His paper was completely blank besides the copied problem. It was the same hour Riley wasted in his treehouse staring at nothing. Calem finally got sick of making absolutely no progress. He moved to stand up and by the window to breath. _Help, just, help. I can't fail. I just can't. What would everyone think of me if I did?_

He was about to take his seat again to try to attempt the problem again, but something caught him. A silhouette coming from the treehouse, which his bedroom window just so happened to directly face, momentarily took his mind off of math. _What the… Riley._ The defeated posture of the shadow gave it away. Shaking his head, Calem thought, _Forget it. He'll leave eventually._

But, when he saw the older man not even moving, and felt the chilly wind blow by and saw the rain further dance wildly in the air, Calem showed one shred of kindness. He pulled his phone out of his pocket (which belonged to a fresh, dry set of clothes than he was wearing earlier) and opened a dial menu.

Contemplation plagued his mind for a good minute. _Isn't this just wasting my time, though? I could be making headway in my homework_. Headway… yes, that was the word. _But…_ Before he knew it, he had already selected a pre-existing contact and pressed the call icon. _You're lucky I'm feeling pity for you, Riley_ , he told himself. On another note, he couldn't help but think, _He's good at math, isn't he?_

Riley felt a buzz in his pocket. He slowly pulled his phone out and stared at the glowing screen. _An incoming call… from Calem?!_ He did a double take and stood up. Answering it, he decided to leave before anything got any worse. Dawn only waited patiently for the next step. "Hello?"

"Riley. I can see you, okay?"

"I'll leave now. Sorry," he slurred.

"Forget it. Get in here. Now. The back door is open. Try not to get sick." It was obvious he was swallowing his pride when he said this. Without another word, Calem hung up. This left Riley standing dumbfounded with his phone still held to his ear.

"Did he mean that?" Dawn couldn't help but overhear.

"I'm not sure." Riley looked outside and saw the rain pouring. He walked over and held a hand out to meet it. "But, I've got nothing left to lose." So, he left.

* * *

Author's note: Thank you so much destawaits for following and favoriting. It means a lot.

As for the reviews:

Mythgirl: On Lillie, yeah, she and Serena did manage to mesh well. I actually intended for her to be the character for Moon to bounce off of and to instigate conversation since neither Moon nor Serena would have been wiling to, but she ended up playing a stronger role. I guess my headcanon drew a lot of parallels between them. Well, who could not like Lillie? Thank you for your words.


	9. Solve my Problem

Riley let himself in. The back door had indeed been open, and Calem _had_ given him permission to enter. But the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach held him back. Reluctantly, he entered the house only to avoid the rain further soaking him to the skin.

It was quiet and dark, almost as if it was abandoned. Dust coated patches of the floor, and the house was empty. Awards, diplomas, and plaques lined the walls rather than family pictures. "Lonely" was the perfect word to describe it. _Wonder if Calem feels it. Even if he did, he would never talk about his feelings._ Riley couldn't help but feel bad about Calem for that; his ego was certainly something.

"It's cold in here, too," Dawn said, rubbing her hands together for added effect. "He never has the heat on."

"I can only imagine why," Riley whispered. "Fossil fuels and all that."

"What?" Dawn didn't get it. _At least he's talking._

Together, they went upstairs, treading carefully. Any wrong move, any odd noise would cause Calem to kick them out. Probably. Fluidly, the two made their way to a specific room: in the left hallway, second door on the right, where the lion's den lay. It wasn't a place to approach so comfortably, but it certainly was not a place to forget, despite how little anyone had ever entered it.

Riley stood before the door and brought his arm up to knock. He stopped before even twitching his hand, the mere thought of what was inside making him feel sick. _What nightmare is beyond this door?_ So, Dawn knocked for him. _Of course she would_.

When no response came, Riley manned up and twisted the doorknob. Unlocked, he opened it and took a slow step inside. "Calem?" he hesitantly called out.

Inside the dark room which was illuminated only by a table lamp was Calem hunched over a math textbook, twirling a mechanical pencil in his hand. At the sound of his name, he looked up, saying, "Got lost?"

Dawn stuck her tongue out at him out of instinct. Riley rolled his eyes and breathed out loudly. "Why did you call me?"

"Don't act innocent. You were still in the treehouse. Can't you waste your time somewhere else?"

"It's raining."

"I can see that." Contrary to what Riley thought, Calem stood up after saying this. He walked over to his closet and pulled out a dry towel, then handed it over to Riley. "Take it."

"Thanks," was Riley's reluctant reply. "Anything else? You _could_ have just told me to go home."

Calem felt words clog up in his throat. _What can I say?_ Analyzing the situation and over-thinking the results, he said, "I'm not heartless."

"I'm can see that," Riley replied smugly.

Calem sighed. "Just dry up, take an umbrella from by the front door, and leave. Keep it."

"You didn't offer this to anyone else."

Calem kept running his thumb along the pages of his book. He twitched his neck and turned around. "I left before I could see the order in which everybody left. I can probably guess as to what happened. Let's see… Moon had brought an umbrella on her own, Ash bailed out to his car and drove away, Serena ran back to her house like a fool, and you remained. Am I right?"

"Two out of four."

Calem raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Well, I guess it's more like three. Ash offered Serena a drive home."

"Oh. And I care why?" _And of course she would say yes. How predictable._

"I didn't say that."

"You can leave now."

Riley had yet to even dry his face with the towel. He only stood there and slowly wiped the cloth all over his head, ignoring the shallow soak on his clothes. "Sure."

With the window closed, the only sound in the room was that of the tapping of wood. Riley redirected his gaze from a mess of small motors, wires, and gears on the floor to Calem, who constantly dropped his spindly fingers onto his table, resuming his position over his textbook.

"What's he doing?" Dawn asked. She had walked over to read what was on the page and came back with a minor headache. "So many letters. Isn't it supposed to be math?" She could only tell since Calem had a graphing calculator next to him.

Biting his lip, Riley inched slower than paint drying towards Calem. Peering over his shoulder, Riley could make out several sentences here and there. The problem Calem had copied down made Riley feel a little better about himself. Slightly smirking, he said, "Need help?"

Calem's head immediately shot up as he defensively covered his scholastic material with his arms. "I'm fine. Do you?"

"Still drying off," Riley said with a light tone. _So cocky. I felt shitty earlier, so now it's your turn, Mr. Know-it-all._ "Chain rule?"

Calem let out an audible breath and looked back down to his paper. His loose leaf was a mess, covered in shoddily erased graphite at failed attempts of solving the problem. "You know?" He tried to sound uninterested, but secretly yearned for something more. _If you know something, say it._

"Yeah."

Calem scoffed and read over the sample problem one more time. "How would you? You don't even go to school, do you?"

"I know that you're struggling. It's not too hard to tell."

"Pfft, go crazy." Calem moved his chair to the left to make room for Riley next to him. Riley walked over, towel in nondominant hand, and bent over to get a better look at the problem.

 _f (x)= sin (cos (tan (cot (x/3)))). Find f'(x)._

"Here we go." Riley picked Calem's pencil up and started writing. First, he wrote _f'(x)= cos. '"_ You made it that far?"

"I didn't ask for your help. I'm seeing if _you_ know." It was a lie. _Where did he get that from?_ He looked back to his textbook and read the definition given.

 _Chain rule:  
_ _If f and g are both differentiable and F= f o g is the composite function defined by F(x)= f (g (x)), then F is differentiable and F' is given by the product  
_ _F'(x)=f'(g (x)) * g'(x)_

Calem's head was absolutely spinning. _It makes no sense! There's no way Riley could know this if I can't comprehend this._

Riley proceeded to put an open parenthesis in front of "cos". Then, he looked left to see Calem squinting harshly at the paper. "I didn't add anything substantial, y'know?"

"Where did cosine come from?" Calem nonchalantly asked.

"It's the derivative function of sine, isn't it? Shouldn't you know that?"

Calem scoffed unconvincingly. "Of course I do. I was testing you."

"Right." Riley stifled a snicker. Looking back to the paper, what was written down was _f'(x)= cos (cos (tan (cot (x/3))))._ He then put large brackets around the equation, then an open one in front of it. "Yeah?"

Calem nodded and secretly gulped. _Where did he get that from?_ He stared back, constantly rereading the work, trying to fathom what could possibly be going on in Riley's head on the work he was putting out. Ultimately, Riley's answer came out to be _f '(x)= [cos (cos (tan (cot (x/3))))] [-sin (tan (cot (x/3)))] [sec^2 (cot (x/3))] [-csc^2 (x/3)] (1/3)._

"Am I right?" Riley dropped the pencil on the table, satisfied with the work he came out with. _It was pretty fun doing._ His head shook to the rhythm of his writing the whole time he was evaluating the derivative.

Calem slowly turned to the back of the textbook to see the true answer and almost had a heart attack when he saw that the two matched. His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "C-correct," he choked out.

"Right. Well, it was nice while it lasted. I'll be off now," Riley said, tossing his used towel into a hamper at the corner of the room.

"That was cool. How did you know how to do that stuff?" Dawn asked. _Was that magic? Was that even math?_

Calem bit his lip, muffling a choking sound coming out. _He's good. As much as I_ hate _to admit it._ Riley was about to step outside the room when Calem managed to swallow his pride. "Riley, wait."

"What?" He had the face of a tired man. _I'm not gonna keep staying here if you're gonna keep belittling me._

"Back."

"What?" Riley asked one more time, more sharply than he had.

"H-help… me with this." Calem took short breaths between each word. If Riley didn't know better, he would have assumed Calem to actually be hurt by saying those words. But, he knew that Calem was just being Calem.

 _Nothing else to do_. Riley ditched his previous worries and stress for the moment. _Let's just make the most of this right now. I mean, how bad can he be at math? He's_ the _Calem Thompson._ "Sure thing. With what?"

Taking a deep breath this time, Calem said, "E-everything."

Riley had to stifle a severe snort. _God, I didn't actually think it would be this bad._ "Where to start…"

"The beginning," Calem deadpanned. "And don't you dare mention any of this to Serena."

Riley raised an eyebrow. _Why so concerned about her?_ "You got it. Okay, then, it's kinda easy." Calem interrupted with a scoff. "Chain rule: got it or no?"

With much hesitation, Calem said, "No."

"Okay, then wh-"

"I've read the definition countless times and _still_ don't get it. What is it even saying?"

Taking a moment to glance over what Calem was referring to, Riley took a sharp intake of air. _Wow, does that make it even more complicated than it has to be._ "Uh, don't rely on that. It's making me confused, even."

"You can solve it, but you don't know it yourself?"

"That doesn't matter. Do you have to recite the formula word for word or not?"

"No. And, yes, it does in fact matter if-"

"Okay, I get it." Riley wanted to literally stick a cork in Calem's mouth. "But, I know how to solve it, so just let me."

"Boooring!" Dawn called out from her spot sitting beside the table with her legs crossed like a pretzel.

"Very well. Care to explain to me why you even know this in the first place, though?"

Riley re-copied the problem onto the back of the piece of paper. While doing this, he said, "I was on the Math Team last year. This year too…" He clenched the pencil tighter as he said this and didn't give his full answer.

"Math Team? How is it that your school has one and mine doesn't?" Calem pinched his chin. _I am more than capable of doing so._ On the contrary.

"Well, it's not what you think. You do a competition that asks you six questions every month that rely more on logic and reasoning than actual math, and other than that, get taught like you're in another math class. Not quite what I would call exhilarating." Riley tried to match Calem's tone and diction choice. "Last year, we were taught limits and derivatives."

Calem glared a hole into his table. _Why couldn't that happen to me?_ "Were you in Calculus last year?" _They shoved me in Pre-calculus because I wasn't a senior._

"Yeah. Math was objectively my best subject, and my counselor thought it would encourage me to go to school more, so she stuck me in Calculus AB last year. I'm in BC this year." It came out as an unintentional brag to Calem. Upon realizing it, he added, "But, I only attended class about five times, so…"

"Oh. Good for you." _I can do it too. Why won't anybody let me? It's not fair. Serena was even put in Calculus AB last year for no real reason._

"If that's how you see it. It was miserable."

"You failed?" _Interesting. Go on…_

"No. Same applied to every other class I took. I just hate school, Calem." Riley looked at the boy he was addressing. _I'm not you_. "Unlike some people, academics aren't what I live for."

 _I don't want to go to school either_ , the voice in the back of Calem's head told him. _I'm not what everybody makes me out to be._ He shook his head of such thoughts. "Hmm… Math is irrelevant anyway."

"Still hell-bent on becoming a doctor _and_ lawyer and all that?" _He always talks so big of becoming like his parents._

"The correct answer would be yes." Calem gave him a discreet glance. _The correct answer would be no. But, I can't back out now. Everyone is expecting this of me. I just have to keep going. There's no changing it. It'll be a living… but I won't be living. I don't want to graduate yet. There's not enough time! No time, no changing anything… Don't you realize that I can't keep fooling around like you are, Riley?_

"Calem? Hey," Riley said as he shook said boy's shoulder. Calem had his eyes shut tight and was breathing heavily. _Didn't know math was such a kryptonite._

"What?" he snapped without opening his eyes. _Get this over with. I don't want to see another textbook for a while._

"Uh, first step!" Riley faked optimism and excitement. Calem turned to look at the paper. "The main thing about the chain rule is that it's simple. Just look."

"I am." He finally opened them.

"Right. To start, just focus on the parenthesis."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just look:

 _f (x)= sin (cos (tan (cot (x/3)))). Find f'(x)._

See the parenthesis around everything inside sine?"

"Yes…?"

"Don't touch it."

"What?"

"Just leave it alone until later."

"That makes me trust you how?"

"I got the right answer, didn't I?" Riley smirked, knowing that Calem couldn't fault that logic. Even if it was quite shallow. Dawn popped up behind him and decided to follow along.

"What… next?" Calem asked through grit teeth.

"Take the derivative of what's outside the parentheses first, always. In this case, what's the derivative of sine?"

"Co...sine?"

"Write it." Riley slid the paper and pencil over Calem's way. When he finished writing it in his perfectly fancy and neat handwriting, Riley continued. _Damn, I suck at teaching. Okay, just remember how Mr. Archer taught it._ "Inside the cosine, just copy what was in the parenthesis. Exactly what was in the parenthesis."

Reluctantly, Calem did so. "Why does this look so wrong?"

"I think it's supposed to be like that. Teachers won't tell you to simplify it or anything, so just leave it."

"Next?"

"Focus on what's inside the parenthesis. Do the same thing and follow through."

"What? Th-that's it?" _I've stressed over something so simple?_

"Don't say that until you solve it." Riley slid the textbook over to in front of him to try to find another similar problem. _What could he handle? Wait a minute…_

Calem slowly tackled his challenge. At the top of the page, he scribbled down all the six trigonometric derivatives to help him remember and keep his head clear. _Okay, cosine's is -sine._

Dawn leaned her head between the two boys' to see the problem. "Oh, hey! I think I get it too! So, that -sine thingy, then everything after that, then, then, sec^2 thingy, then…" She went on to continue her eureka moment alongside Calem. _I can do this! Why was math so hard back then? Either that or Riley's an awesome teacher, ha._

After a few minutes, Calem came out with most of the work, but was perplexed about one thing. "What about x/3?"

"What have you been doing?"

"Find _its_ derivative?"

"Yeah. Hey, but, aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"

"And that means what?" Calem jotted down the quotient rule next to the trig derivatives, then proceeded to apply it. Dawn tried to follow along, feeling very proud that she managed to stay on the same wavelength as Calem.

"This is Chapter Two. Shouldn't you still be on One or something? Limits?"

"In class, yes. This is it, correct?" Calem flipped the paper back and forth to check if his work and answer matched Riley's. It did.

"Then why…? Y'know?"

"I like to stay ahead." _I refuse to say the true reason._

"You're not doing so well on the math front, are you?" Riley cut through Calem's defense, hitting the nail right on the head.

"S-so what I am? So what if I'm _not_?" He looked away.

"Uh-huh… Let's try this one." Riley took a clean sheet of paper from a stack set off to the side and wrote down another sample problem:

 _f (x)= [((x^5)+7) / ((x^3) - 9)]^99_

"Off you go."

Calem faltered at the sight. Never had pencil on paper been so menacing. _What do I do? This is different from the last one…_ "Uh…"

"Relax. I don't know the answer either."

Calem literally bit his tongue, then said, "Instilling faith, now are we?"

"My teacher didn't show us this, but let's try it together. Looks fun."

" _Fun_? This is entertaining to you?" He felt a vein starting to bulge on his head. "I refuse to be the butt of your joke."

Riley twisted his whole face."I meant that the problem looked fun to solve. I, uh, I think I… like math, is what I meant."

"O-oh, right," Calem said before ducking his head down. Riley scoffed, then chuckled slightly. " _Don't_ -"

"Sure, sure," Riley said. _Have I slayed the beast tonight?_ "Uh, _f'(x)= 99 [((x^5)+7) / ((x^3) - 9)]^98_ to start, right?"

"What?" Calem's thoughts started to scatter. _Where did that come from? That makes no sense…_

"Uh, treat whatever's inside the parenthesis as a variable until you have to touch it. So, (blank)^99 turns to 99 (blank)^98, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Right," Calem said to try to get to the answer quickly. _Just write it down, let me see it, then I'll get it._

"Now, finish it." Riley passed the pencil back.

"What?"

"What do you do next?"

"Ooh, ooh, the rule thingy he wrote up top!" Dawn exclaimed. _Am I right?_

Caught off guard, Riley almost toppled over from hunching over the table. _Whoa, forgot she was here!_ After clearing his throat, an idea came the him. _But, she was right._ He smirked. "Calem, wanna know something?"

"What?" He was quite snippy. _Are you sure you're not laughing at my ineptitude?_

"Dawn got it."

"Daw-" Calem cut himself off by gasping. _Not again._ "This is more important than backtracking like that, Riley."

Riley twitched an eye. "I thought it would be motivation. She's next to me." _Didn't you know?_ "And she's been watching us, learning along with you. She knows what to do next. What about you?"

That lit the fire below Calem's bottom. She _understands this? Yeah, right. Wait, no, forget that. He's just taunting me._ "Uh... " He stared at the paper for a good minute before snapping and saying, "Quotient rule."

"Try it out," Riley said, his heart feeling lighter. Perhaps it was pride for his friend? Most likely. Calem started applying the quotient rule to the problem, which fell into sync with what Dawn was saying from behind.

The answer came to [ _99 [((x^5)+7) / ((x^3) - 9)]^98] {[((5x^4)((x^3) - 9) - (3x^2)((x^5)+7))] / ((x^3) - 9)^2}_. Flipping to the back of the book, Calem got it right. "Yessss!" he cheered.

"We did it!" Dawn shouted and hi-fived Calem's raised, open hand.

"Alright, Calem," Riley said. _I… actually feel really good for him. Nice job, man_.

"Hmph, did you ever doubt me?" Calem's cockiness started coming back.

"Before anything, you're _not_ doing this just to spite Serena, right?" Riley had to know. _He wouldn't be so petty, right?_

"Tch, no. She's not even taking a math this year."

"And you know why?"

"Our mothers shared our schedules. I know. I'll admit"-he sighed and closed his textbook-"I _am_ doing this because math… troubles me."

 _That must have taken a lot out of him to say._ Calem looked like he was in agony. Well too much pride resided itself within him. "Well, then, nice on you. Not everyone can say they tried so hard for school."

"Yes, well, not everybody is gifted in academia." _Unlike a certain someone. Despite staying home for most of his life, he's a high school senior? Not without impeccable grades._

Riley sighed. "I happen to be good at math. Can't speak so much about my other subjects." He was actually being modest. His other classes had excellent marks besides attendance, just slightly below his mathematics. This was in part of his nature, and also in part for comforting Calem.

"Well, then… either way, I guess I should say"-he breathed in and out several times-"thank you, Riley. For helping me."

Riley let a small smile come along. "No problem, Calem. It was pretty fun. Thank you." _Let's just leave it at that for tonight._

They shook hands on it. "Perhaps… you can help me again later," Calem mumbled, getting successively quieter with each word.

"Yeah, why the hell not? I feel kinda good about this." _Math, at least. Was pretty fun. Maybe I should_ try _to go again… Ms. Turner is a really good math teacher, and so is Mr. Archer. Gives me something. Maybe, maybe…_

"I'll… text you if there are any complications."

"Calem?" Riley had to stop the flow.

"Yes?"

"Please stop trying to wear britches too big for you. You're smart enough on your own." _Plus, it sounds really douchey sometimes._

Scoffing, Calem said, "Shouldn't you be off?" And indeed, the time was late.

"Mm, so I should," Riley said. He started shaking his head, deciding to walk away for now. _I'll get you back when I'm in a foul mood. Calem… despite all the rude remarks and hidden subtext, you're still you. I hope we don't lose that too._ "Bye."

"If we happen to meet again, do _not_ think of bringing anyone else." Calem moved to open his closet, taking out a small Robotics Club project involving a self-assembled toy car with a large weight put on it. _Honestly, why couldn't you all just leave it behind?_

"Sure." He was barely audible. Off he went, going down the stairs, out the door, along the road, and off back home. He had grabbed a large umbrella from a bucket at the front door of Calem's, which he huddled next to Dawn under.

After walking two blocks quietly and calmly, their shoulders constantly knocking against each other, with much hesitation, Riley felt daring. He put a hand on Dawn's shoulder and pulled her closer. Neither flinched away, but kept pace with the other. "What was tonight?" Dawn asked.

"Nothing," Riley replied. _Nothing… but a mess. I managed to leave the house, but also managed to get caught in that battlefield, went on a chase for a doppelganger phantom, saved Moon from falling after I nearly caused her to, and solved some math problems. Yeah, nothing…_

Riley found Dawn leaning closer to him. Her sleepy strides and limp waving of limbs was charming. He wanted to make sure she was okay, protect her, assure her that things were alright, just like he was unable to in the past. Even if things weren't so. "Just don't leave, Dawn," he whispered into her ear, making sure it would be drowned out by the rain and their synchronized footsteps. _I'm a coward, alright._

By the time the both of their heads hit their respective pillows at Riley's place, they immediately fell asleep. Maybe they were getting old, or maybe that night was too much, but their bones were aching and tired. Saturday, Riley woke up at four in the afternoon, Dawn following by an hour. Their sleep cycles went off like that for the next few days.

Sunday, reflecting on the math lesson he had with Calem and the looks Moon and Ash had in their eyes when they parted, Riley decided to try to go to school again. He told himself that, went to bed early, set his alarm, and still ended up waking up well past noon. _I'll wake up early and go tomorrow_ , he kept telling himself. He meant it, too. But, his body had different plans. His father didn't even bother waking him up to ask the dreaded question.

Dawn waking up later than him each day didn't help either. "We're going out?" she would ask when she woke up. But, one glance at the alarm clock or her watch and she would immediately deflate. Her extreme bedhead took her thoughts away from that every day as well.

Thursday night, Riley made damn sure he would wake up. Fresh batteries in his alarm clock and the timer set on his phone (which he never did since he claimed it to be too much effort) were his plan. Albeit that they were underwhelming and predictable, Riley was confident in his actions. "Tomorrow, for sure." _I can't keep putting it off. But, there is always next time…_ Procrastination plagued him. He wasn't _wrong_ in thinking that way, technically speaking.

Friday morning, 6:07 AM, Riley managed to wake up. He forced himself off his couch to stand and trudge to the bathroom. "Damn, later than I wanted. I set it to five. Looks like Math Team's out of the schedule today. Sorry, Mr. Archer." He didn't bother keeping his voice down.

"What are you talking about?" Dawn sleepily asked. She buried herself deeper into her blanket to keep warm and block out Riley's loud vocalized regrets.

"We're going to school today," he proclaimed. Then, he immediately felt deflated. _Oh, wait… school…_

"We are?" Dawn jumped out of bed. "Really?"

"Yeah," he muttered, covering his mouth with a hand. "I'm gonna hurry before I regret this." _Where did my excitement even come from?_

By 6:45, Riley made sure he was ready to go. Adhering to a strict schedule and being early were his prime directives. He stood by the front door with his backpack slung on, tapping his watch as he counted the seconds that Dawn took. _Ever so closer to going out and embarrassing myself. So many people… so many opportunities to fall flat on my face. I don't want to go out anymore. I'm scared. Or am I overthinking this? I still feel sick, though. Dawn, please, help me._

"Are we going? Are you _sure_ you want to?" she asked. _I don't want him to get sad or angry again._

"Yeah, I can do this. Just stay close to me, okay?" Riley grabbed her hand and used it as a stress ball. _It can't be that bad. Just don't talk, and people will ignore you. Don't stand out, and don't do anything you'll regret. Simple. Just one more day. I can do it._

Leaving together made it better for Riley. With no hiccups, they managed to get to the bus stop. No one was lined up at it, no one was walking by, and no one was there to make Riley have anxiety. No sign of Ash's rude crew was a godsend. Time went on, and Riley kept his vision cone limited to straight in front of him, not daring to look and accidentally anger someone else. One by one, the waiting line increased in number in the early hour of the morning, causing Riley to worry. _Just don't look back._ Beside him, Dawn politely stood by, knowing better to at least not act so hyperactive at seven in the morning.

The bus came around soon enough, providing Riley some relief from the bland-looking construction site across the street. He got on, used his Metrocard, and took the singlet seat closest to the backdoor. He opened his eyes once he realized that Dawn didn't quite fit into the puzzle. A woman had already taken the seat in front of him, and half of the bus had already filled up once he looked around.

Dawn was standing to his left, leaning on him and gripping onto a metal bar on his seat and the one in front of him. "Haven't been on a bus in a long time," she said.

He hesitated speaking, given he didn't want to appear completely insane. Clearing his throat to disguise his voice, he asked, "You okay standing?"

"Huh? Mm-hmm! How long's the ride?" She pressed herself further against him as a group of loud, laughing teenagers walked past them to the back of the bus. There were four girls, two of which were simultaneously on their phones and moving on the bus, one who was leading the way, and one quiet one who followed them.

Riley sighed and glanced at his watch. "Just twenty more minutes," he breathed.

"Damn." Dawn started hopping, already bored.

The group of girls that had passed them by came back around once the bus started moving. "There's no seats," one of them said.

"There's one there," another said. The voice was vaguely familiar.

"Who gets to sit?" one asked as the four gathered around a doublet seat next to a man who had fallen asleep a few feet ahead of Riley.

"Moon, you go ahead," said the vaguely familiar voice. Riley and Dawn turned their heads at this. The fourth girl let out a breathy laugh and shook her head no.

"It's okay, Luna. You can-"

"Here's my bag," said one of the other girls. The other one also handed off her bag to Moon.

"Guess I have no choice," Moon mumbled, holding out her one free hand for her sister's bag. Luna gave it up as Moon took the seat, awkwardly situating herself to a position comfortable enough to manage without bumping into the stranger next to her. It didn't work as the bags she had to juggle were rather bulky, even if they were more than likely empty.

"Hey, Moon!" Dawn called out and waved. "Go say hi."

Riley only shook his head and dreaded what could follow him greeting Moon. "She's got her own friends," he whispered. The three girls above Moon chattered among themselves, but left Moon to only stare out the window and yawn as the bus went on. _Feel kinda sorry for her._

 _I don't want to goooo!_ Moon whined inside her head. _This sucks. I have to carry their bags again, and I'm going first today in English. Fuck, man. Oh, and Sharon's perfume is making me queasy._ She fanned her nose in the direction of the girl to the right of Luna. _I feel so sick_.

The stops came and went, and Riley counted them all. He hadn't rode the bus enough times to recall the right one by looking out the window. Once they made it to the eleventh station, he pressed the red "stop" button on a metal pole and stood up. Dawn made way and stood in front of the rear doors.

The bus idled at the stop as several people got off. Riley started walking at a snail's pace once he set foot on the sidewalk. Other students passed him by without so much as a glance. _So far, so good. Just keep walking, if I pass her by, wave to Moon, and don't stop. I can do this._

Riley looked ahead to search for the girl Dawn wanted to strike conversation with, but failed to find her. Three girls walked in front of him side by side, forming a wall, one of which had black hair in two braids. _There's Luna. Where's Moon?_ _She was on the bus… She didn't fall asleep, did she? But, then, why didn't her friends wake her up?_

"Riley, where's Moon?" Dawn piped up.

"I'm not sure. Let's just go. I have a couple classes with her, I think." That answer was enough to satisfy Dawn for the most part.

Thankfully, the environment was quiet. Only a few students were out and about, and the sun wasn't blinding them. The rain had subsided, but the air was still heavy, depressing, weighing. Once Riley made it inside the school, he entered the cafeteria and went through the security measure of showing his ID card. _No hitches. I made it._ Inside, he guided Dawn through a crowd of people just standing in the middle of the room for no reason.

An empty section of a white bench called his name as he walked his fastest forwards with his head dipped. He took a seat, which was at the edge of the table, and inhaled loudly. "Made it."

Dawn took the seat opposite him and darted her eyes all about. "This is it? High school?" Nothing like what she had seen on TV, the scene before her was flaccid. Students unevenly distributed in the cafeteria, some screaming and howling with laughter that pierced her ears, and a lack of focus made her think twice about her fantasy of being older. "It's not that cool."

"I never said that."

"What are we doing?"

"There's"-Riley checked his phone-"like twenty minutes before they let us go upstairs to class."

"Oh. That's dumb. Don't you have class right now?" She recalled his schedule from weeks earlier.

"They won't let me up late." Riley resorted to staring at Dawn to pass the time.

"So we came super early why?"

Riley only nodded his head as he saw people come and go in his peripherals. To his left was loud cackling that meant well but was quite obnoxious. Patience ran thin after two minutes, so he turned to casually glance at the source of sound. Luna and her two friends found their place at the other side of the table, but were still missing Moon. One of the girls, who reeked of perfume, stopped laughing first. She gasped, then slapped the table excitedly. "Oh, my gosh, Luna, we're going tonight, right?"

Luna made a face and thought for a moment. "Tonight what, Sharon?"

"The movie! It's premiering tonight, and I'm _so_ hype for it."

"Yeah, I already got tickets," said the other girl.

"Really, Gabriella? Which one?" Luna moved to grab at thin air beside her. "Huh? Where's my bag?"

Sharon scoffed, then said, "Yeah, where is your sister? She's carrying our stuff!"

"She was on the bus with us… Did she fall asleep?" Luna pondered aloud. _Again? She looked really jittery this morning, so that can't be it._

"Whatever. She just better get her sorry butt over here before second period starts." Gabriella tapped on her phone as she said this.

"Or else she's _so_ in trouble," Sharon said.

"Don't worry, she'll be here," Luna reassured them.

"Moon's missing?" Dawn started listening in too. She couldn't help it either; they were practically shouting to get their voices heard in the uproarious cafeteria. Riley gripped the edge of the table.

Luna checked her own phone. "Yeah, tonight! I can't wait. When are we going?"

"The one at nine is the one I got tickets for," Gabriella said.

Luna smiled and nodded her head, but stopped upon realizing something. "Sorry, guys, I can't go."

Her two friends froze and looked at her incredulously. "What is that supposed to mean, Luna?" asked Sharon. "We've been talking about this movie for weeks! You even forgot that it was tonight. What happened?"

Luna scratched her cheek. "Sorry. It's just that Moon has a dance recital tonight."

Dawn snapped her fingers. "Alright, Moon. You're still dancing? You can do it." Riley smiled at the thought.

"That's _it_?" Gabriella exclaimed. "You buggin'. You're gonna ditch tonight for your sister's dumb dance?"

Luna pursed her lips. "But dancing is the one thing she's really interested in. I love giving her support."

 _Just like we used to do_ , Riley thought. _She was always the supporting role or a background character. We tried to make her feel better about it._

"So what? You _always_ ditch us for her dance things."

"Yeah. Let's just go to the movies tonight."

Luna made a sound of internal conflict. "Guys, come on. It's hard to choose, but I need to be there for Moon "

"Why?" Sharon prompted.

"Yeah, she's _older_ than you, isn't she? You don't have to be there for her. She can do it herself." The cogs in Gabriella's head started turning to try to find a way to convince her friend to hang out that night.

"But I always go. Plus, I promised her I would be there tonight." Luna frowned.

"Yeah, that's the _point_. What's missing _on_ e recital? She can forgive you. Especially since this is way more important!"

"She's not forcing you to go, is she? What kinda shitty sister would that be?"

"No, no she's not!" Luna jumped to her sister's defense. "I _want_ to go. She's really insecure."

"What kind of shitty friends do you have to badmouth your sister behind her back for a _movie_?" Riley muttered bitterly. Dawn fidgeted in place, holding herself back from exploding at Luna's friends.

"But, you know, _Gladion_ is coming, Luna," Sharon said. This made Luna shift in attitude.

"Really? But he never goes out. Even when me and Lillie try to drag him out."

Gabriella leaned in close. "Yeah, but apparently that Hau guy convinced him to go. Do you wanna go now?"

Luna bit her lip and hummed in thought. "I _do_ , but I also wanna have Moon's back." She kicked her feet under the table to try to come up with a decision. "Oh, I know! Let's invite Moon to go with us!" It was _a_ solution, but not the optimal one.

"Didn't you say she really wanted to dance?" Sharon asked. Luna deflated immediately upon realization.

Riley grit his teeth and turned the other direction, trying to zone out the girls' hurtful words. _At least Moon's not here to hear it. Who talks like that? Luna, if you're decent enough, you'll go see Moon._

"Can we go see Moon too?" Dawn asked with hopeful eyes. When Riley shook his head, she tried her best to not ask again.

Someone had burst into the cafeteria and ran towards the table Riley was sitting at. She lugged around several bags, sweating, breathing heavily. _I made it. There's time to spare. Yes._ She slammed against a pillar that stood between both halves of the bench Riley was sitting on and bent her knees. _Just gotta breathe. They're right there._

Riley turned back to see who seemed to have a rush and yearning to be in school and felt his heart drop at who it was. _Wrong place, wrong time, Moon!_ He turned back around, unsure of what to do or how he should have distracted her. _Their conversation isn't even over yet. I'm sorry for you, Moon._

"Riley-" Dawn stopped herself when she connected the dots. _Those three talking badly about her, she's here, and they don't know. Oh, Moon._

"Besides, it's a _scary_ movie. Do you remember what happened last time you brought her to the movies with us?" Gabriella narrowed her eyes and rose her voice. This caused Moon to perk up and listen in. "She ended up getting scared _before_ it got to the good part, and you ended up making us all leave to comfort her! You owe us this!"

 _Oh, they remember that, huh? Wait, why are they even talking about it?_ She put a hand to her mouth and laughed uncomfortably. _N-no, they might be talking and out someone else as pathetic as me! Yeah, that's it… Someone else..._

Luna covered her mouth with a hand. "Oh, yeah… But, it wouldn't be fair to her!"

"Stop babying your _older_ sister. She's holding you back. You're gonna _not_ have fun so you can go to another one of her dances that you have never missed before? You always go, and remember what you said when we tagged along with you that one time? You told us that it was boring, and that she doesn't even dance good! So why go?"

Moon felt her arms fall limply to her side. _Oh, they_ were _talking about me… Wait, she_ doesn't _want to go? But she always said she liked going…_ _She doesn't think I can dance either?_

"I know, but-" Luna started.

"Look, if she's really your sister and friend, then she shouldn't mind. Ask her yourself when she gets here."

"You'll have a much better time at the movie, anyway."

Luna settled on nodding and said, "Yeah, I will. I admit, I _really_ want to see this movie. Things just get really complicated when I have to watch out for Moon. She's too sensitive about stuff like this. I mean, love her and all, but I don't always want to be her literal shoulder to cry on when she gets embarrassed. Which is a lot." Her two friends snickered. Moon felt her head shutting down. "Please don't tell her I said that."

Moon pressed her hand against her mouth and suppressed a small sob. _I'm sorry, Luna. I'm sorry that I'm so disappointing, then._ She stood straighter up and took several deep breaths. _Don't let me hold you back._ She faked and smile and walked over to stand behind Luna. "Hey, guys. Here's your bags."

"About time," Sharon snapped, grabbing her bag to pull out a makeup kit.

"Hey, Moon, what happened?" Luna asked sweetly. Too sweetly. _I'm scared to ask her!_

Moon awkwardly chuckled and answered, "Well, when I got to the back door, it closed and the driver took off, so I had to get off at the next stop." _That's a lie. I fell asleep after the first stop. But, what I said did happen several times already this semester._

Luna felt even more guilty about asking what she about to say. _I didn't even notice that she wasn't with us until I completely settled down. How did I forget her?_ "Hey, Moon?"

"Yeah?" She bit her lip, knowing what her sister was about to say.

Luna looked to her friends for moral support that she got in the form of exasperated nods. "Do you"-she gulped and felt her stomach sink-"mind if I went to a movie tonight instead of your dance?"

Without wasting a second, without letting how it affected her show, Moon's immediate response was: "It's okay." _Please, actually insist to go see me tonight instead. Luna, I need you there. Grant me this selfish request._ "I want you to have fun. I can do it."

"Really?" Luna perked up and stood to face Moon. Moon only forced herself to smile wider and nod vigorously. The younger sister noticed a grain of something caught in the wire of Moon's braces, but decided against saying anything to spare the embarrassment. "Thank you, Moon." Luna embraced her sister tightly, feeling her conscience relax. It was too bad that it was based on a lie.

"It's really fine. I was just going to be another prop meister and scene changer again. I won't even be dancing." Her cheeks started aching from pretending to smile so much. _But, I will be dancing… Just don't feel bad because of me, Luna._

"Oh, that sucks. Well, I'll make it up to you later, okay? I promise, I'll cheer you on no matter what role you have at your next recital!" _Yeah, that's a start. I'll buy her a game on my way home, too._

"Yeah…" was all Moon could say. But, she actually felt her insides twisting. Like a weight, disappointment causedher to sink down and almost fall to the floor. _But, there won't be a next time… I shouldn't say that, though._

Riley, who looked and listened in on the whole exchange, scoffed and shook his head. _What are you hiding, Moon? Just be selfish and say what you really want to._

Before anything else could be said or done, a whistle was blown, signalling that it was time to go up for class. With that, a sea of students streamed into the stairwell, Moon and Riley tightly holding Dawn's hand included. Their second period class was one that, conveniently, they and Ash shared: AP Literature.

Moon, Riley, and Dawn all climbed up to the third floor. The whole trek, Riley kept repeating to himself, _349, 349_. He had yet to explore that corner of their school in his technically three years of attendance. Eventually, he made it to the classroom with minutes to spare, relaxing at the sight of a nearly empty space. But, it wouldn't be so simple as just waltzing in and taking a seat; he had to talk to his teacher after having missed about a month of class. This resulted in him awkwardly standing at the teacher's desk, waiting for her to notice him as she wrote on the chalkboard.

Meanwhile, Moon had yet to reach the classroom despite being ahead of Riley. A buzz in her pocket made her check her phone to see a text from Luna.

 _Sorry, can you come to my classroom with the physics homework? I think I put mine behind yours when we did it together last night, so you took it. I have lab now, and Mr. Borson saw me. You know how he is, so I can't leave. Please?_

Moon smiled sadly at the brick of text on her phone screen. _At least she remembered to type everything out and be super specific for me to avoid confusion like I asked._ She rifled through her bag and peeked into the homework half of the physics section in her large binder. There she found Luna's homework nestled behind hers. _What did I do? The lab is on the extreme other side of the school._ Off she ran, praying that she had enough time to return the homework and get to her seat.

 **~X~**

Five minutes after the late bell rang, the door to room 349 flew open and in walked a sweating and out-of-breath Moon. Every head in the classroom snapped to the newcomer, including Riley. Moon only ducked her head and made a beeline for her seat, ignoring the discreet hand Riley held out for her in greeting.

Ms. Valence stopped her as she passed by the teacher's desk. "Moon, we were about to start presentations. You're first today. Are to ready?"

 _Can I even say no?_ Moon sighed and nodded, words unable to escape her. She ungracefully made it to her chair, dropped her bag, opened it, and rifled through it to pull out her assignment. Everyone in the room waited with bated breath for Moon to get ready, staring at the frazzled girl awkwardly digging through her things. After two solid minutes of dead air, many lost interest and resorted to entertaining themselves with their phones.

Riley looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Other than Dawn, who was patting Moon on the back, no one was looking at Moon anymore. Ms. Valence started roll call, diverting attention from Moon. "Ash?" She got no response. This caused Moon and Riley to look around and confirm that Ash was not in the classroom.

Riley shook it off as he reached an arm out. After getting over the initial hesitation, he tugged on Moon's jacket, causing her to flinch and turn around. He caught her binder, which was about to slide off her desk, then whispered, "Calm down."

Moon nodded and breathed, ignoring the fact that Riley was in school, finding her paper and props, then shoved her things back into her bag. _Alright, I can't be any more of a train wreck than that Brian guy was yesterday._ She took her spot at the front of the classroom just as their teacher finished attendance. She took the computer and went online, pulling open a song. At the woman's nod and smile, Moon started the music and stood front and center.

The music was what seemed like a sad song, one that Riley and Dawn recognized. The problem with it was that it was unnecessarily loud. Moon was too anxious to turn around and change the volume, head clouded with thoughts of worry. Her heart pounded in her ears. The class was silent as Moon started. She sat down in a chair facing the class and started reading from her paper over the music. Too bad her voice was a tad too quiet and shaky. In a voice louder than her typical one, she read, "Goddamnit. Just goddamnit. These phony idiots…"

Riley looked down at the copy of _The Catcher in the Rye_ that Ms. Valence had lent him. A test on the book was Monday, she told him, and on the current day, Friday, people were presenting skits they wrote about a scene not included in the book. _Isn't this book supposed to be the epitome of "teenage angst" or whatever? Just some guy complaining about life? Guess I shouldn't be talking._ Beside him, Dawn was staring intently at Moon.

In the middle of Moon's first sentence, Ms. Valence interrupted her. "You're going to have to speak louder, Moon." A couple of chuckles came from her peers. Of note, Sharon and Gabriella were in the corner on their phones.

Moon's train of thought went from looking like several of dice just thrown onto a table to a bag of marbles being emptied out onto the floor. _What? But, I_ am _talking louder. I don't want to do this._ She tried again, but with even more hesitation laced in her words as weirdness plagued her from having to repeat herself. Her stomach started doing somersaults as a sinking feeling weighed in heavily. "G-goddamnit, just-"

"Louder!" Ms. Valence called out with one hand cupped around an ear. She meant well, Moon knew, but it didn't help her confidence at all.

"Goddamnit…" Moon resorted to holding her script right in front of her face to both hide herself and to make sure she knew what she was going to say. _At least she's not grading on acting._ Even though she wasn't looking, she could feel all the eyes on her, burning holes into her while she flared up red. Sweat found itself on her brow and nose, and it wasn't residual liquid from running to the classroom minutes prior. But, of course simply reading off her paper wasn't going to pan out well.

Moon couldn't help but scatter her focus. After every few words she read, her eyes left the paper to dart around the room. Bored faces greeted her, and the occasional eye contact made her regret even looking up. But, she couldn't help it. Her eyes flit from paper to face to floor to wall, then back to paper to start again. With her lack of control of herself, she couldn't even read her work properly.

Even though it was all typed out nicely in front of her, she couldn't bring herself to read it word for word. _It sounds bad now. How can I change it to sound less bad?_ She ended up talking slower, changing words as she went along, and stuttering over and over, making an even bigger fool of herself. "I d-didn't ch-choose…" she tried reading aloud. _Just read it! I wasted two hours trying to take pride in this last night._ But, she couldn't. Her plan went out the window, and so did her words follow.

She dropped one hand to the side and made a fist, digging her fingernails into her palm. _Why did I write so much? Why can't this just be over? I fucked up big time. It's all wrong._ I'm _all wrong._ Her voice started shaking, and as the music swelled, a bubble was caught in her throat. _Make it stop…_ She was too caught up in her own head. What she had to say was right in front of her eyes, but she couldn't even say it properly.

She forgot to breath, even, saying several sentences at once, then taking shallow gasps to go again to not leave any empty air, fearing further embarrassment. Even though she desperately wanted to _slow down_ and _breathe_ , she just couldn't bring herself to do so. _I don't want to be here. Just end this. End me. I can't breathe. Help…_

Riley felt horrible for her. Around him, other kids were either on their phones, looking at Moon with confusion or amusement, or simply trying not to fall asleep. He heard someone behind him say, "So boring. She's just hogging all the attention and time."

Another voice came, saying, "And she even came late. Just wow. Look at her. She's probably faking being so nervous."

On the contrary: Moon was having a panic attack. Riley assumed that the moment Ms. Valence told her to speak up, and Moon started visibly shaking. He resisted the hard urge to turn around and snap at whoever was bad-mouthing her. Beside him, Dawn stood clinging to his arm as she too witnessed the breakdown of Moon. "Oh, Moon…" she said whenever Moon stuttered.

Once the travesty was over, Moon finished with, "Y-yeah." Then, she ducked her head and trudged over to her seat, not before handing in her accursed paper. As she walked off, the only sound was her squeaking footsteps and rustling paper. Where was the applause? Nary a pity clap from anyone, yet everyone who had already gone the days before received encouraging claps. Not even a mocking, smug, insulting clap. She was only met with silence, which managed to be somehow more painful.

Ms. Valence wrote something down. Then, slowly and too saccharinely sweet, she said, "That was lovely, Moon. Any compliments?" It was just a _tad_ demeaning.

 _That's a lie_ , was all Moon could think. _I fucked up._ She buried her head in her hands on her desk as titters came from behind her. _Way to make today even worse._

A hand shot up after half a minute of silence. A boy who talked often said, "I thought that it was really good." An empty compliment. Moon blinked harshly at this. "But, the music was kinda loud." The song was the one thing she was confident in choosing. Everyone turned to look at Moon for whatever reason while she forced herself to nod and stay silent.

"Yes, I thought so too. Anyone else?" Ms. Valence said. Moon only sat down, hunched over, and bit her thumb. "Okay, next we have Victor."

Moon refused to stare and anything besides the open notebook in front of her, fearing making any eye contact with anyone. _Help me._

* * *

Author's note: I'm not really that sorry for putting math in this chapter. I was actually having fun solving the problem. Not too sure if that's what's taught in Calculus AB or BC, but it was in Math 151. The chain rule definition came out of my textbook, actually.

Unfun fact: What happened to Moon was from my own experience of two events. This past semester in a history class, minus being late, being openly laughed at, and having someone have my back like Riley, was the oral report part. The actual assignment and music flop was from last year in AP English Language. Both aren't good memories. Just a question that doesn't really matter, but, was what Moon was going through an actual panic attack? I'm kind of worried about myself now writing it down. It's happened several times to me the past semester.

As to the reviews:

Guest: Well… don't I have egg on my face. But, really, thank you for correcting me. I'm not even sure why I included it since I'm not going to expand on it or anything. I should definitely check myself, especially on this since I'm taking Intermediate Chinese next semester. But, I'm pretty sure that was how I heard my parents talking in that situation. I probably misheard them, or took it from the wrong context. Anyway, yeah, thank you. I've already changed it.

And, actually, when I watched _Anohona_ , I made a connection between the characters and my headcanons for the ones I used here. So, I was glad that I could make something work and make it my own thing. Put this old account with no stories before this one to work.

Most importantly, thank you for reviewing at all. Nice to know that there are people (plural) reading my work and actually liking it. I hope I can continue to better and finish this story.

destawaits : I'm really flattered you like this. I hope to keep it up! Thank you!

Mythgirl: Once more, thank you for pointing out that issue I had with the last chapter. This website does the darndest things, no? But, really, it was on me. So, thank you twice over.


	10. Last Step

Moon regretted a lot of things in her life, and waking up that morning was at the top of her list. After finishing her train wreck of a presentation, she took her seat and refused to do anything besides stare at her binder, opened to a blank piece of paper. The panic and inner turmoil refused to dissipate, leaving Moon to only wait the pain out. Things would have been fine eventually since embarrassment of such proportions was nothing new to her. But, things went downhill once the classroom phone rang.

It was a minute after Moon sat back down, and the person to go after her had yet to take the stage. Ms. Valence made her way to answer the phone, stepping outside the classroom and closing the door behind her, trusting her students to not create chaos when left alone.

Moon made a move to pick up her pen. She pressed it to her paper and furiously scribbled what Riley assumed to be homework answers, given that the page shown opposite the blank one had math problems written on it. _Well, at least she's doing her homework at all. Could have done it at home, but she seems committed enough. I thought that she would have been broken over what happened with her and Luna, and then that presentation_ , he thought.

Riley leaned over to see Moon's writing, and immediately wished he hadn't. As opposed to equations and calculations, he found her carving the paper with disencouraging and depressing words. She held her head in one hand and a pen in the other using all fingers and went to town on the poor paper.

 _Help me. Why can't second chances be real? Why can't someone turn back time? Why do I have to make so many mistakes?_ Moon thought. Without rhyme or reason to placement, she had scrawled "mistake", "regret", "What is wrong with me?!", "die", "hopeless", "loser", "suffocating", "fade away" and things of the like over and over again, retracing words until they were barely legible. _It hurts. I wish it didn't_.

In the midst of her manic trance, Riley decided to man up and attempt to comfort her. Dawn's urging wasn't even necessary. But, he manned up too little too late. Another girl in their class got up and walked over to Moon. Instinctively, Moon covered her binder with her arms, obscuring her words of unnecessary malice from everyone's eyes. "Hey, Moon, I just wanted to say that I really liked your skit."

Moon recognized the girl as one of the few people in the class who seemed to be beacons of perfection. The girl was in multiple advanced classes, had excellent grades, participated lots, was loved by many teachers, had many friends, always had something clever to say, and, most importantly, made Moon jealous. Moon resisted the urge to roll her eyes and only said, "Thanks." There was nothing else to say, quite actually.

But, the girl continued on, much to Moon's disliking. She stood to Moon's left, completely blocking her from Riley, and pushing Dawn out of the way. "I just thought that it was _so_ clever of you to use…" She kept talking, showering Moon with needless compliments, compliments that Moon hated hearing.

Moon could only sit through it, faking a smile and nodding her head every so often to look nice. _Shut up, just shut up. You're lying. You're just saying all this shit to make yourself look better. Yeah, thoroughly analyze the quiet girl's awkward presentation and draw attention the her when she just wants the damn thing forgotten about. Fuck you. You're_ so _nice, huh? So damn perfect? Just leave me alone._ Moon's ugly side was showing, but it wasn't unwarranted. _The worst part is that it is very possible that she actually means what she's saying._

When the girl finished, Moon sighed in relief. But, of course one of the girl's friends had to jump in on the compliment train and keep the spotlight on Moon. "Yeah, I especially loved the way you worded it, Moon. _So_ poetic. Right?" She turned to the rest of the class, who listened on since the girl was talking the loudest out of anyone.

A boy who usually stayed quiet unless things interested him piped up, "Also, it was really brave of you to present, Moon." He started clapping, and so did the rest of the class follow. "You never talk, but you spoke so loudly then. Really brave. Woo!"

The applause continued as Moon was showered by what she perceived as empty words. "Amazing, Moon!", "Spot on job", "You were way better than I was", and "I wish I was more like you" were choice picks of such hollowness. _No, you don't want to be like me. Why are you even complimenting me on that? Basic functions of society? Because I actually talked in front of the class since I don't participate? Since I actually wrote something of substance for an assignment? What is wrong with you people? Everyone did exactly what I did, except better. Why do I get this special treatment? Did you think I was slow or something? Fuck off with that. Shut up. Why can't you forget me instead of trying to make me feel better, which is actually a ploy to make you feel and look better?_

Her classmates might as well have been pelting her with rocks than with words with how Moon was taking it. Was she to be blamed? Not really. She didn't ask for the whole class to look at her and inflate her ego. She wanted to be forgotten, but instead got the exact opposite. In her hand, with too many people so absorbed in themselves thinking they were helping a peer, Moon was bending her pen. As each person rattled off compliments that made Moon feel like dying, her pen further curled and bent. _Please stop. Why draw attention to it now? Who the hell is calling you, Ms. Valence?_

Dawn tapped on Riley's shoulder. "Did you read what was in her book?" He nodded. "Help her. She doesn't want to be surrounded by people. She looks like she's actually in pain."

Moon had her fake smile on the whole time, not even having to worry about talking since no one gave her room to do so. Outside, she was pleasant. Inside, it was very obvious to the two that she was screaming. Riley gripped the edge of his table. "But, I don't know what to do. I want to help, but how can I chase off the entire class?" It was practically drowned out by the chatter of the other teens.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, ha…" Moon finally said something. Albeit words just as empty as the ones she was receiving, words were spoken by her. The strain of the sentence and warbliness of her laugh raised immediate red flags.

"Do what?" Riley looked around the entire room to find nothing of use to them. _I can't believe Moon hasn't passed out or something. She could never stand crowds and flattery._

"She needs to get out of here. What can we do to take the attention off her?"

Riley's mind drifted to one answer. It wasn't the best answer, but it was the only thing he could come up with on the spot that was a surefire way of diverting attention. To himself, of course. As Moon let out another fake laugh, Riley, running on pure instinct, harshly punched his desk and stood up. Several heads turned his way, and eventually the whole mob looked at him.

Hesitation targeted him like a lasso, but he refused to get caught. Just this one time. _I have to help her. She hasn't yet, but she will break down._ After taking only one deep breath, he spoke up. "Enough about her. Her presentation was okay. Super shaky, but okay. You're inflating things."

One student countered him immediately. "What are you talking about? Moon's presentation was amazing. What about yours… Wait, who are you?"

 _Okay, now they're gonna go and attack me because I spoke my mind against a popular opinion and didn't just jump on the bandwagon. Change the subject. Thanks for the lead, man._ Just as Ms. Valence returned to the room, Riley said, "I'm the"-he swallowed harshly, taking his time as one second felt like one hour-"student who hasn't come to class once this year. What are you gonna do about it?"

Ms. Valence looked up to her standing class with confusion and said, "Yes, I forgot, but he is our missing student, Riley. Please be seated now, and we'll continue."

"But, Miss-" one boy tried to say before Riley cut him off.

"Yeah, I haven't come to class regularly ever, yet I still managed to pass. None of you can say that." He couldn't help but think, _I'm making a goddamn fool out of myself. You're welcome, Moon._

"Er, Riley, perhaps you should sit back-"

"No way, ma'am." Even Ms. Valence wasn't safe from Riley's verbal assault. _I'm in deep shit now. But, if I don't come back to school again…_ "That's right. All eyes are on me now, huh? That's better than forcing the limelight on Moon, who didn't want it in the first place. She didn't want you people drawing attention to her. So what if she looks down from giving a subpar performance? So what if she doesn't talk much in class? You don't know her. She doesn't want you to stare at her like a specimen. Come off it."

A moment of silence ensued. Finally, ducking her head, Moon said, "Riley, you're an idiot."

Without any further warning or thinking, Riley did the first thing that came to mind: run. He grabbed Moon, who had just shoved all her things into her bag, by the hand and pulled her up. Dawn grabbed his other one. He only said, "Fuck it all." Then, he walked down the aisle, dragging a speechless and stunned Moon with him, and stepped on it once in a clear space. They went out the door in an instant.

"Wait, where are you…" Ms. Valence became unheard as the three escaped farther from the classroom.

Moon finally realized her position once they hit the staircase. "Wait, what the fuck-"

"Too late to turn back." Riley shrugged. With a lack of other options, they kept running. They accepted it as their reality. Even when security guards at the front entrance asked for their identification to leave, the ran like escaped convicts.

 **~X~**

Stopping finally became a known concept to them once they reached the bus stop one down from the one closest to their school. "Why didn't we stop? We even passed that stop on our way here." Riley put his hands on his knees and panted.

Moon simply went to the bench and plopped down, trying to cool down from both the exercise and the classroom fiasco. "I don't know. You said run, so I ran. You didn't have to follow me."

"Right…" was all Riley could muster. _Seriously? I thought I was saving you. Tell me I didn't just make this worse._

A heavy exhale caught his attention. He looked at the bench to see Moon and Dawn using each other as pillows propping each other up. Moon said, "First time I've skipped school."

"Me too," Dawn chimed in, even if it didn't really count for her.

"Not for me…" Riley muttered, taking the empty spot to Moon's left. "Don't think going back would be a good solution."

Moon only hummed, checking her watch and staring at the road to both avoid eye contact and see if the bus was coming. Several minutes of awkward silence followed due to neither side knowing how to instigate a conversation after their great escape. Finally, Moon said, "Thank you."

Out of instinct, Riley immediately replied, "No problem." He realized how odd and out of place his quick response was right after he spoke. _I actually really mean it, especially if it did help you, Moon. Those weren't entirely empty words. I wasn't waving you off._ Moon didn't seem to caught off guard by it, though. She was lost, staring off into the distance.

"Today can't get any worse, though."

Riley dared to press further. _She usually freaks out over stuff like back in class, but this time seemed way worse than I remember. Something's breaking her._ Dawn whined loudly, leaving Riley no other option than to follow through with his intention and get to the bottom of things. "What happened back there?"

He could hear Moon struggling to put together an answer, sputtering and gasping several times over. The honking of a horn provided relief from getting flustered as their bus pulled up to the curb. "Later."

They boarded the bus and made their way to the back, which full of vacant seats. Riley sat down first, then Moon followed by taking the one right next to him. She regretted her choice once she realized how weird it was that they, two people who were not openly conversing and were barely friends, were sitting adjacent to each other when there were a bunch of open spots to take. But, it was too late to change her mind, so she only settled in and sighed.

Dawn sat opposite Riley, and was pointing at Moon while whispering loudly, "Talk. I want to know what's wrong."

It was much easier said than done. It took until the second stop for Riley to muster up the courage to say, "Is it later now?"

Once the bus started moving again, Moon sighed one last time. _I can't keep saying later, now can I? Prolonging the inevitable…_ "A little longer. I know somewhere we can talk better." _I hope no one asked why I'm willing to work in the middle of the morning._ The nasty stench of public transportation permeated her senses and made her want to find sweet relief. Unable to bring himself to press further, Riley let it be and sat back.

 **~X~**

Cafe Fairy was empty, save for the workers and a couple of people drinking coffee alone. Moon and Riley injected slightly more life into the restaurant upon their arrival. After Riley took a seat, Moon came out minutes later in the cafe's uniform while holding a cup of black coffee. She slid it in front of him, then took the seat opposite him. Dawn was lucky that she decided to stand next to Riley, lest she become a seat cushion.

Riley stared at the drink he received, then Moon. To avoid staring at her and causing her further discomfort, he picked up a spoon and started stirring the coffee. "Er, didn't know you worked."

"Serena said the same thing…" Moon trailed off, watching him stir like it was a swinging pocket watch.

"I don't know how to respond to that," he said rather than thought, knowing that Moon wouldn't take offence to it.

"Yeah…"

 _Damn, I'm gonna have to be the one to instigate conversation, aren't I?_ Riley gripped the cup handle, then said, "So, what happened back there?"

Moon sighed, then slammed her head on the table. "Ouch." She shot up to rub the sore spot she received. _Guess I have to. Prepare thyself for a wrecking, Riley. Be my shrink for a day._ "You really wanna?"

"Yeah," Dawn said, using her hands to make Riley nod his head.

"For starters, everything sucks."

"Go on," Riley said.

"What you saw is what happened. I choked big time, and I couldn't take the compliments. That's why I ran with you. You better explain to my mom why-"

"I know, Moon." Riley held his hands in front of her face to avoid talking about taking responsibility. _You're not lying, but you're not coming clean, either_. "Why'd you choke?"

Moon started doodling in a notepad that she had brought with her. "Nothing new. Not the first time something like that has happened. I just… find it hard to talk in front of people."

"Ironic, seeing how loud you are when you hang out with-" Riley stopped talking, realizing what he said. _It was even present tense. Redirecting now._ "Isn't there something else that's holding you back?" He couldn't purge the conversation he overheard only about an hour earlier from his mind.

Moon stopped her drawing of a crudely done dickbutt mid-sketch to clench the pen so hard her arm started shaking. "No."

Riley gulped and twitched his neck. _Okay, just say it, then take a sip to avoid eye contact_. "I, uh, overheard the conversation you, Luna, and her friends had earlier." Immediately after, he took a big swig of the coffee, then struggled to not spit it out. He swallowed, and without looking to see how Moon reacted to what he said, he coughed and said, "What the hell? This is cold, bitter as sin, and somehow salty? Moon!"

The sound of her sputtering laugh made Riley look at her as he blindly reached for a napkin to dry his lips. Dawn pointed at him and cackled extremely loudly, knowing that only Riley would hear her embarrassing herself. Moon tried talking several times, but couldn't through her laughter. After a minute to cool down, she said through giggles, "I'm not sorry. It's just, you have to be a customer to stay here, so I just grabbed the first thing I saw back there to get you. There was a cup of coffee sitting on the deliver counter for whatever reason, and I don't know how you like it, so I thought you didn't like sweet, so I added salt. And, oh, how right I was to do that!" She started up chortling again.

Riley reached into his bag to take out a water bottle and chugged it down. "How much salt, the whole Atlantic Ocean? Jeez." He slid the cup towards his oh, so welcoming waitress and sighed. "I don't even want to know whose order you messed up. That's on you. Nice to see you so chipper now."

Managing to calm down was quite a feat for Moon. Even after getting through the heavy stages of laughter, chuckles sabotaged her attempts of serious conversation. Even Dawn had stopped laughing well before her. A final sigh told her that her laugh box was at its limit. The memory of what happened between her and her sister dragged her spirits down, courtesy of Riley's friendly reminder. "Well, if you heard it from the horse's mouth, then what is there to say?"

Riley knew she was trying to avoid conversation. He would have let her get away with it, had it not been for Dawn's goading, that being the reason he followed Moon to the cafe, and Moon's obviously disappointed face. "What are you, y'know"-he was uncomfortable trying to get into a deep talk, unable to formulate good sentences-"feeling?"

Knowing that "fine" wouldn't slide, Moon braced herself for what she would blast Riley with. "Sad."

"Because…?" he said slowly, leading her on.

"Because everything went wrong today." She let the floodgates open. "I woke up late, didn't get to shower this morning, got laughed at by Luna's friends again for almost dropping my phone, fell asleep on the bus, almost had a heart attack running to get to school on time, overheard my sister saying that she thinks I'm shit at dancing when it's the one thing I actually think I'm good at, embarrassed myself in class, then skipped school and am now pouring this all out to you." She breathed heavily, having been talking as fast as she possibly could.

Riley had been nodding his head with each thing she listed off as she confirmed his beliefs that she was not okay. "Anything else?" He dragged the cup of bad coffee back, preparing to subject himself to torture to get Moon to feel better after wearing her heart on her sleeve.

Moon flailed her arms pathetically at her sides. "Fuck yeah, there is. How could Luna feel that way?" Her voice softened as she stared at the table. "Was every time she sat in on me practicing at home, every time she walked me to dance class when she could have been hanging out with her friends, every time she attended my recitals just out of pity?"

Riley was at a loss. Was it out of pity? He had no idea. Luna didn't seem the type to look down on people. But, she also wasn't one to lie as far as he knew and how Moon made her out to be. "Should it matter? I mean, if it's what you want to do, just do it."

"That's not the point." Exactly what Riley hoped she wouldn't say. "She always clapped for me. She always gave me a nice bouquet of flowers after each big performance even though we both knew it was a waste of money. She always said I was amazing…"

"Aren't you?" Riley was excellent at playing his conversations like Jenga.

"I don't know. I certainly don't feel like I am, especially since she said that." Moon looked down at her legs and wanted to be invisible. _Luna said I had the legs of a dancer, whatever that means. Why would she lie like that?_

Confusion and Moon went hand in hand. Riley couldn't figure out the true meaning of her words. "Wait, Moon, just answer this first: what are you so sad about? Is it what she said, or-"

"No, not what she said. It's that she lied!" Moon breathed heavily. "That she lied. I'm okay with knowing that I'm not that good at stuff, but she kept telling me that I was good. But she actually doesn't think so? It hurts."

Dawn felt fortunate that Moon couldn't hear her. She didn't even know what to say, so she was relieved that she wasn't expected to talk. That didn't mean her heartstrings were left untouched. "But you are good." Along with Luna, Moon's five friends frequented her recitals.

"Maybe she was trying to preserve your feelings?" Riley couldn't come up with one response that wouldn't make things harder on her. "Wait, did she even criticize your skills?"

"Her friend said that she said that I was boring and not good." It took all Moon had to say that with her voice at a plateau. "And that I was… am weighing her down, and am a crybaby."

There was no other way to interpret what Luna said but as insults. "Maybe she was trying to please her friends?" Riley tried.

"No, she knows how to stand up for herself." Moon sighed and reached inside her hoodie pocket, feeling a segment of a ticket roll. "I guess she just got tired of standing up for me."

"Lotta baggage coming out, huh" he tried to joke, but failed miserably. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry."

"How can't I?" Dawn whispered, staring at the floor with her eyebrows scrunched up.

"Well, didn't you say that you weren't going to dance anyway tonight?" Riley unknowingly played devil's advocate. He intended to try to relieve the gravity of the situation.

"I lied." Moon thumbed over the tickets. "Actually, I'm the lead role."

Riley, who preemptively picked up the bad coffee to ridicule himself, almost dropped the cup from shock. "Who, whoa, whoa, that's big. Big."

"Uh-huh."

After sputtering several times, Riley said, "Why didn't you tell Luna that? Is it your first time, too?" He recalled Moon's dream of being the starring role of one of her dance class' productions.

"Yup. It doesn't matter, anyway."

"Doesn't matter?! Moon, have you gone mad? You always wanted to!" Dawn kicked harshly at one of the table's legs, accidentally hitting Riley's leg. He didn't even flinch, too mystified and baffled by Moon's nonchalance at what she just said.

"But, you always said…"

"It doesn't matter." She folded the tickets over on their creases, still in her pocket. She sighed and said, "I wasn't even supposed to be the lead, anyway."

"Come again?"

"That's what she said," Moon joked lifelessly. That was a big problem to Riley and Dawn. Taking in his expression, Moon went back to the topic. "I was the real lead's understudy." She smiled bitterly. "I'm pretty sure our teacher made me that because she thought she _knew_ that that would mean she wouldn't have to pay attention to me, and that I wouldn't ever be on stage."

"What?" Riley couldn't say anything else. _Is the dance industry that cutthroat or something? Or are there actually teachers that shitty? Moon's actually a good dancer from what I remember._

"I'm don't think she likes me that much. I also think she thinks I'm slow and don't understand English that well. Every time she's addressed me only, she spoke slowly and used small words, and I ended up stuttering and saying nothing of substance. And, I also might have tripped and fallen on her once by accident. So, yeah." Moon looked over Riley's shoulder at nothing. "So, if I was an understudy, and she thought that the lead would follow through, I wouldn't have to ruin her day, huh? That's just my theory, though."

Riley only sat there with a pained expression on his face. _That's horrible. Biased much?_

Moon continued on. She let go of the tickets and only crossed her arms. "But, too bad for her, the lead said she was quitting. Something about being bored, and having a date with her boyfriend tonight or something? So, by default, I became the lead. Learned it last week."

"Uh, do you know how…?" Riley tried saying.

"I know the choreography. I always do, and have been practicing the steps in my room alone since the start. But, I guess I just don't care anymore. I don't think I want to dance anymore, Riley." Moon pursed her lips as memories of Luna watching her dance in her room enthusiastically, and her friends sitting in doing the same faded into recent ones of her dancing in the middle of the night with no audience, no music, and no happiness.

Without hesitating, he said, "Because of what Luna said?"

"Not just that." Moon ripped the piece of paper she was doodling on out of her notepad and started folding it. "I guess it's just that I have no more reason to."

"Hah?" Riley and Dawn sounded out.

"I've been falling down a lot more recently, my class consists of me practicing alone in the corner while everyone else has fun, no one wants to watch me, and I just ain't having fun anymore. There's no payoff. It's not what it used to be." She sighed. "Tonight'll be my last performance anyway."

 _What it used to be_ , Riley repeated in his head. Digesting what he heard took a moment. "What do you mean no one's going to watch you? Whoa, _last_ dance? Moon, what are you…?"

She gave a sad smile. Dawn whimpered and sat down, clutching her stomach. Moon said, "Luna's not coming, so I guess my reserved seats are going to waste."

"No one else is going?"

"Who would? Luna was the only one who willingly went. But, I guess even that was wrong."

"What about your-"

"Dad's working, and Mom's the main reason I'm stopping dance. I don't have any friends at school to invite, too."

Trying to come up with ways to contradict the last part of her statement was troublesome for Riley given that he rarely went to school. Then, eureka. "Aren't you in the, what, K-pop Club? That's a dance club, isn't it?" He recalled sitting in on a performance during diversity week at school, one of the few days he attended.

"I quit last year. I didn't know anybody there that well, and I had to go to tutoring after school. Guess that leads into your other question. Yeah, it's my last dance tonight."

"You don't know that for sure." As much as he wanted to, he couldn't even pick up the bad coffee. It probably wouldn't have helped, either.

"Yeah, I do. Like I said, Mom's the one making me stop, really, besides myself. She said that my grades weren't good enough. Tch, y'know the SATs?" He nodded. "What'd you get?"

"Uh…" Riley _knew_ that he shouldn't have answered that, but Moon would have felt worse if he didn't. "1450."

"First and only try?" He nodded. "Figures. I _tried_ to take it twice last year. The first time, Luna accidently turned my alarm off when she went into my room to get a game, so I missed it. The second? Phht, the second time."

"What?" Riley hesitantly asked.

"You know Luna's graduating early?" The subject hopping caught Riley off guard, but he was able to keep up. He made a face and Moon scoffed at it. "Yeah, that's what I thought. But, she said that she didn't want to go to school an extra year if she didn't have to, so she and her counselor worked out graduating early. Big dreams of being a… I actually don't know what she aspires to be."

A self-deprecating moment later, Riley snapped her back to Earth by saying, "Yeah?"

"S-so, we're on the same wavelength academics wise, only that I have more credits than her. Our grades even - No, her grades are better than mine. And Mom _loves_ it. She's the perfect daughter, don't you think?"

"I, uh, wouldn't know."

"Yeah. Mom holds us to the same standards because of that. Standards that Luna happens to hit perfectly and I struggle with. Keeps pointing out that she's younger than me, but has accomplished way more than me. That she has better grades, and _friends_ , while I stay home playing games until the morning comes and then some." She stopped, thinking of back when Dawn was there, and how Past Moon was almost like Present Luna. Almost. "She obviously favors her. Even before birth, she knew. I mean, who the fuck names their kid 'Moon'? At least where we live… She gets named the normal name for the moon, and I just get named after it. On top of making me feel shitty sometimes, it's also jarring. Try being me in astronomy class last year.

"Moon…" Dawn bit her lip.

"Then came my second SAT attempt. It was also Luna's first." She looked up to check if Riley was still paying attention. He was. His utmost attention. "I woke up late, and my dad already left for work. I was supposed to ride with him, but, y'know… So I asked my Mom, but she was already taking Luna to her testing center. We signed up for different ones, somehow. Mom had to go to work, and Luna's was on her way there, so that was fine and dandy, but I had to figure things out on my own." She twisted the bottom of her shirt. "I ended up scrambling to get ready, then burst out the door with a stomach ache from worrying so much.

"I didn't even know where to go. High Horizon Academy, but where the hell is it?" She missed Riley taking a sharp intake of air, ignorant to the fact that Serena went there during her rant. "I'm already scared of public transportation, so imagine me huddled at and bus stop trying to get directions on my slow phone."

"Not fun," Riley said.

"Yeah. I actually managed to not get lost, but by the time I got there, I had a minute to spare before it started and felt supremely sick. So damn anxious. Then came the disaster of the summer of '17. The first part is the reading section, right? I felt so sick that I couldn't focus. I just stared at the first passage for nearly half the time before I realized that it already started. Let that set the stage for the rest of the test. Luna came out with a 1360. Wanna guess how I did?"

"Not really…" Overestimating would just be taunting Moon. Underestimating would make Riley seem like he had low expectations of her. Hitting it dead on would make her feel sick again.

"620." Riley recoiled in shock. Moon continued, "Yeah, Mom freaked out even more. 'If Luna can do it, why can't you?' I couldn't even bring myself to tell her how bad I felt when I went in taking it. Even I know that I could have done way better. But, Mom signed me up for tutoring after school and kept hovering over my shoulder, monitoring my gaming habits and replacing my stuff with study material. I was lucky she let Lillie tutor me this year instead of that douchey… Uh, yknow that Lillie is a junior too? A lot of the same classes as Luna. Mm, yeah, if Luna can do it, why can't I? I could have graduated early and…"

"You alright?"

"Y-yeah. Ha ha!" Her fake laugh was painful of many levels. "Anyway, to today, she's on me about studying and all that junk. It's not even helping me. I just can't deal with the pressure of tests. Same as Calem."

"Don't let him hear that." He managed to lift the cup and prepare himself for the taste once Moon finished.

"Ha, oh, yeah, boy. Well, back to dance… Mom stopped paying for my dance lessons." Her hand found itself grasping the tickets once more.

Riley widened his eyes at this. "But the one thing you love is-"

"Lov _ed_. I'm not so sure now." She smiled wryly. "That's why I got this job. It was fine at the beginning since I had backup money from allowance I stored up, but the well's run dry. It's not enough anymore. And I can't handle another job. It doesn't seem worth it anymore, either." The tickets almost started ripping at their tear lines from being bent. "Last Saturday was my last lesson. Today is my last performance. And as the lead. Ironic. What it always wanted is what I want the least right now."

"Moon… Did you tell anyone else?" _I don't think she let it go that well. I'm sure she still wants to dance, but no one's letting her._

"Who is there to tell? Mom won't listen until the results of this coming SAT comes back, it's weird with Luna, and then there's no one else to talk to." _I can't burden Serena with it now, either. Not when we just started talking again._ "Anyway, thanks for letting me get this off my chest. Really, Riley, it means a lot. But, I'm gonna stop dancing. It's not on the table anymore."

"Wait…" He couldn't think of anything to say to stop her. _If we hadn't split back then, how different would this be now?_

"I'll take this back. Don't torture yourself with it. I'll pay for it, too." She stood up and took the coffee back. "I'll see you on Monday?" Off she walked, not even looking where she was going, trying to blink the delayed tears away. _I don't want to stop dancing..._

"No…" Riley couldn't process it all. He knew how much he changed. He just had no idea how much Moon did.

"Good luck tonight. Not that you'll need it, though," Dawn whispered.

Riley echoed, "Dawn wishes you good luck tonight."

Moon stopped for a minute. Without turning around, she said, "I'm sure she does. Thank you." _Even if she really did, saying good luck for the stage is bad luck, isn't it?_

Dawn silently watched Moon as she walked away. As the latter passed by a trash can, Dawn noticed her tossing a wad of something into the basket. Due to a combination of her curiosity and lack of purpose in that moment, she went over and picked out the small item, drawing a correlation between it and the thing Moon had been juggling in her pocket minutes earlier.

Dawn read what was on the item, a ticket strip. "Admit one. Tempora Center, Oct. 3, 8pm" was printed neatly four times. Four tickets were in her hands. She went back to Riley, tapped his shoulder, and presented what she found.

He eyed them warily. "What is this and where did you get it?"

"I saw Moon throw it out. I think they're for her recital tonight." They shared a look, and without any hesitation on Riley's side, they nodded their heads.

 **~X~**

"Riley, how much longer?" Dawn whined. They were currently situated in Calem's treehouse alone.

"Hours." He didn't look up as he typed up alone text on his phone and sent it to the three others in a message group without Moon.

 _Treehouse. 5pm._

 _Should be enough time for them to finish school and get here._ Riley stood up to pace about, waiting for incoming replies. _This isn't breaking and entering, either. Calem never said I couldn't, just that he would tattle on us if he saw us here. Yeah, that's it._

The first reply was almost immediately after he sent the text. From Ash: _i got practic til 6. Big gaem nxt weke. Wats up._

Riley sighed, reading it slowly and carefully to decipher it, trying not to lose brain cells in the later came one from Serena. _What's happened? I almost dropped a test tube. I have a club until 4, then another obligation till 6._

Half an hour later came Calem's. _Nice going with distracting Serena. She almost ruined out lab. Why? If you must know, I have a club until four, then an extra class until seven. Don't bother corralling everyone there. Go home and off of my property now, Riley._

Not even bothering to respond properly, Riley sent out one last text, then resorted to staring at a wall to pass time while Dawn searched the treehouse for something to do.

 _Doesn't matter. Very important. Please, come as soon as you can. All of you, well before 8._

 **~X~**

Serena was the first one to enter the treehouse, dressed in a normal shirt and skirt as opposed to her school uniform or something revealing. "What, what?" she called out as she clamoured up the rope ladder.

"Hey, Serena." Riley and Dawn both said it, but at two different extremes of volume.

"What's the emergency?" She didn't get an answer.

Riley checked the time, 7:14. "Aiming for everyone here. You're later than you said." _It takes like ten minutes to get to the building where it's being held, so we can push it a little for Calem._

"Yeah, well, I didn't include coming home in my time." She sat down to catch her breath. "You're lucky I live next door and have nothing better to do tonight."

"Thanks for coming." Serena looked at him and didn't say anymore, trusting him enough to have called them there for a good reason.

Ash arrived at 7:23 in his football uniform. He ungracefully lied down on his back on the floor and said, "'Sup, guys?"

"Waiting on him," Serena said, voice becoming strained on the last word. She then squatted down beside Ash. "Hey, do you want anything to drink or something? I can jog to my house in a minute if you want."

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though." He gave a thumbs up, not bothering to sit up. Riley raised an eyebrow at her offer. He would have said something, but remembered the wretched coffee from the morning and left it alone.

Time passed ever so slowly. Dawn stared at her watch, every single tick of the second hand driving her closer to falling asleep. The promise of seeing Moon dance kept her awake. "When's Calem coming?"

7:30 passed, and still no signs of Calem existed. Each minute made Riley feel sicker than the last. _This is my crazy dumb plan, and I'll see it through. For Moon, at least._

7:39 came, and to Riley's relief, the creaking of the rope ladder sounded out. He shot up and opened the door. In walked Calem carrying a thick textbook and donning a scowl. "Can I _help_ you?" he seethed.

"Come in." Riley pulled the youngest male in the room further into the treehouse, the now four, technically five people standing in a circle. With Ash staring at him with anticipation, Serena with indifference, and Calem with annoyance, he held out the ticket strip in the middle.

"What is this?" Ash poked it.

Riley pulled it back towards himself and said, "Tickets to Moon's dance recital. It's tonight. Now. Er, twentyish minutes from now. We're all going."

"That's very nice. I'm going back in and you will all leave by the time I get to my room." Calem turned around, but Riley grabbed his shoulder.

"No. This is really important. It's not even for me; it's Moon."

"What happened?" Serena took the ticket strip in her hand and held it gently.

"We, uh, ahem, skipped school today."

"I'm out." Calem yanked himself free, but didn't start walking away yet.

Riley knew he had to speak fast if they were going to make it in time. "And during that time, I learned a lot about her. Things that I, _we_ should have known about. As her… friends." He looked each person in the eye. Even Ash was serious. Simple was his statement. "Moon's gonna quit dancing."

A stiff moment followed as the other three did not know how to process the information. "So what?" Calem said, masking his inner worry.

"You know what. Dancing is to Moon as art and cooking is to Serena, sports are to Ash, academics are to you, and y-yeah…" Riley hunched over, unable to come up with something that he had passion for. "Stuff happened to her. She feels inferior to her sister, and her mom isn't being supportive of her dancing. Ultimately, tonight is apparently her last dance."

"Last?" Ash scratched his head, right where it collided with another person's during practice.

"Her mom cut off her dance fund or what have you. She's been working as a waitress to pay for her classes, but her wallet and drive have gone empty. Tonight's her last performance." He knew what to say to get their support completely. "And she's even the lead role"

Ash and Serena snapped their heads up and hummed in support. Riley had them, but Calem had yet to budge. He crossed his arms and frowned. "That's nice and all for her that her dream has become reality, but we don't have to be there. Correction: _I_ don't have to be there. Keep me out of this. Take a page out of her book and realize when the end has come."

"Oh, we need to be there for her," Dawn said. Riley had no problem echoing this.

"Really, now?" Calem narrowed his eyes.

"You should have seen her in what little class we were in this morning. She had a panic attack during a presentation. Her head isn't on right. She needs support. We can provide it for her."

"No, she doesn't. She's fine on her own, and if she does need it so desperately because she can't handle having the spotlight on her, she has her family. We don't need to have any part in this." Calem shook his head.

"She doesn't, actually." Riley really wished he hadn't been the only one to hear Moon out since he was the only one who could speak on her behalf. "Her mom is out of the question. Her dad is working. Her-"

"If you are trying to make her a victim and make me feel for her, don't even. She's has quite the number of privileges. If not her parents, she at least has her sister."

Riley slowly shook his head. "No, she doesn't." Serena gasped at this. Ash even did did a double-take. "Apparently, Luna would rather see a movie with her friends and crush than go support her sister, who she doesn't even think dances well. Even as support. That's why I have these tickets. She tried throwing them away. No one was gonna go see her tonight. But, we are. Aren't we?" He waved the tickets in front of Calem, who swiped them out of his hand and stared.

Dropping them was surprisingly difficult for Calem. Shoving them to Serena next to him, he said, "It is of no concern to me what she does. I will not partake in this ridiculous endeavor. Don't you think she threw those out for a reason? Maybe she didn't want anyone to go see her."

"Dude, come on, just relax. Were you-"

Serena cut Ash off. "It is of definite concern to you of all people. Don't you think?" She stepped up to him and leaned down an inch to reach eye level, anger radiating from her. "Let me spell it out for you: remember that spelling bee of yours like six years ago?" Their noses were almost touching, but she didn't care about that. All she cared about was Moon. And, perhaps one-upping Calem.

 **~X~**

It was the annual Chanswell Spelling Bee, a scholastic event spanning several notable schools in the town. In the middle school division, representing the sixth grade for Exalte Middle School was eleven-year-old Calem Thompson. Countless rounds had gone by, and it was down to the finals. Only Calem and another student remained.

Several rounds had already passed of the two finalists going back and forth spewing correct answers. A chunk of the crowd had already gone home, mostly parents to sore losers of the day. But, a significant amount of people remained, watching, judging the two on stage, particularly Calem.

Calem stepped up to the microphone and squared his shoulders, looking out to the crowd. He recognized seven faces, five of which belong to his friends, and the last two to his parents. The adults supporting him even took a day off their busy work schedules to see their young son participate in his first competition of such caliber.

The past rounds had been grueling to say the least. Not that Calem would admit it, but several words had been spelled by him correctly by sheer luck. Because of that, his wavering confidence, his expecting parents, the spotlights shining on him, the cameras pointed at him being broadcasted on a local news channel, and the fact that victory relied on him spelling the next word correctly made his chest hurt. Not eating breakfast didn't help him. Not even Serena's homemade muffins were enough to coax the bag of nerves to eat that morning. All eyes were on him.

The announce tapped his microphone. "Okay, we have high stakes here right now. Jacob had just spelled this word incorrectly, and if Calem can spell it, he takes home the victory." Calem gulped and tugged at his collar, his nerves not even letting him lament over how Serena and Dawn teased him over wearing the stuffy suit he was in. "Okay, then, Calem. Two minutes on the clock. Once more, the word is 'beignet'."

In the crowd, Serena smirked directly at Calem. She definitely knew how to spell it. Both she and Calem recalled her recent foreign baking craze. They had been spending the past few weeks hanging out at Serena's place instead of his treehouse due to the cold, late-autumn weather and her cooking. Every time they were at her place, they sat at the kitchen with the television playing several yards away in the living room on the Cooking Channel, closed captionings spelling out the names of desserts that appeared on screen. Open on the counter was a colorful cookbook with many dog-eared pages, opened to a new recipe with Serena hovering over it, cheeks and nose dusted with flour. The last time they all hung out, it was beignet day.

Calem inwardly groaned, recalling seeing the name of the food dozens of times that day. It eluded him. He could only remember that it was pronounced drastically different from how it was spelled, and that the ones Serena made were excellent (not that he would tell her). _I know what it is. I've seen how it's spelled. Why can't I remember it when I most need it?_ He locked up and pathetically opened and closed his mouth silently behind the mic. Instinctively and to avoid dead air, he said, "Definition?"

"A fritter, or a small mass of fried or sautéed batter," the announcer read from a dictionary.

Calem rolled his eyes. _Try telling that to Serena._ _What now, though?_ He stole a glance at his friends, all who were sitting on the edge of their seats and offering thumbs-ups. Serena, who decided to be a jerk, pulled out a plastic baggie from her bag containing some of her leftover, handmade beignets. They were chocolate, filled with strawberry buttercream, and coated with vanilla glaze, her neapolitan masterpiece. She whipped one out and slowly bit into it, never breaking eye contact the whole time.

The clock kept counting down. A whole half minute elapsed, and Calem had yet to even give his first letter. "B…" He kept tugging at his gaudy designer tie, the letters not falling out of his mouth. "B-e…" _I don't know what's next. I can't handle this_. His arms trembled at his sides, and his face was glistening with sweat. One of the judges tapped the table he sat at out of obvious boredom.

His parents looked on with stone faces, "knowing" that their son would win. From around his friends, people who knew of the Thompson's reputation as influential intellectuals in Chanswell sneered at their son frozen on stage. "There's no way this kid can spell it."

"My son could have spelled it. The Thompson nerd probably only made it this far because his parents called a favor from the judges."

"Probably bribed."

"My daughter goes to school with him. Apparently, his grades aren't even that good."

"Riding on his parents' coattails."

"Welcome to the real world, you little bastard."

The group of five having their heads filled with words of disdain looked at each other with queasy faces. Serena suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. "He's gonna spell it, right?" She laughed stiffly while putting her food away. "I practically gave him the answer."

"We have to help him." Ash fiddled with his baseball cap in his hands.

"That would be cheating," Riley reminded them.

"Well, I'm pretty sure he can hear all these people saying bad things, though." Dawn looked on stage with great concern.

Moon said, "Even I never mess up this badly."

Someone coughed loudly, obviously forced and with intent. After Calem kept repeating the letter e, the person coughed and almost drowned him out. Each time, it would be followed by two people tittering. Calem started breathing heavily; even though he was standing a foot from his mic, it was audible. Several more voices came up, all poorly hiding their laughter at the boy's struggling.

 _I don't want to do this._ He shut his eyes tightly. _But I can't run away, even if I want to. I would embarrass Mom and Dad, and everyone will know I'm not smart. I'm scared. Someone help me, please…_ "B-e…"

That was the longest minute of Calem's life. He stood in stasis until he heard the scraping of one of the metal folding chairs in the crowd. His father had stood up, covering his face with his hand out of embarrassment for his son, unable to stand seeing any more of it. Mr. Thompson expected as much out of his son. He walked out, and his wife followed him to try to drag him back. The laughter rang clearer in his head.

The announcer said, "One more minute, Calem. Once again, the word is 'beignet'."

Interception time came as yet another chair squeaked. Managing to look up and gasp for much needed air, Calem saw Moon standing up. She had obvious looks of panic and regret on her face as many heads turned to her, but she wasn't bailing out. She couldn't back out. She didn't want to back out.

 _I have to do this. I know the feeling, and he doesn't deserve to have it. It's reserved for me out of all of us. I'm used to it, and he's not. I'll save him. I can do this one thing for him right. Here's to you, Calem. I'd do this for anyone else, but this is for you. You're welcome._ She shakily stepped onto her chair and stood tall, cupping her hands over her mouth.

"Moon, are you sure?" Dawn pulled on her hand. She got a Moon smile in response.

Time was still moving slower than it took to form fossil fuels. After breathing in and clapping, forcing nearly every head to turn her way and away from Calem, she was ready. _Embarrassment time!_ "Woo! Calem, you can do it!" It cut through the silence of the room painfully.

Calem gaped at his friend ridiculing herself for a reason he could not comprehend. _What is she doing? She's going to get kicked out of here._

"Forget everything else. You got this!" She applauded loudly, so hard her hands started to hurt. The people who had been laughing at Calem started to laugh at her. _Going as expected, surprisingly. Good. You're running out of time, though._ She shouted several more phrases of genuine encouragement before her friends mustered the audacity to reach her level.

Ash shot up and stuck two fingers in his mouth to whistle sharply. Dawn stood to jump up and down and fist pump. Serena held her baggie of beignets in the air and shook them, pointing at it like an idiot and mouthing, "Do it, you ass." Riley managed to stand up and clap, softer than Moon, though. At the absurdity of the situation, Calem laughed and relaxed his shoulders. _You all are truly fools. Fools that are friends… Thank you…_

Half a minute remained. The announcer cleared his throat and said, "Will someone please escort that young lady out of the room? She is causing a disruption for the contestant." He pointed at Moon, the most obvious perpetrator. A security guard came up to her and touched her shoulder, helping her to the floor and dragging her to the exit. Moon didn't care, though; she couldn't stop smiling at Calem. Ash ran after her to go to the bathroom, in fashion as Calem would have guessed he would.

Running short of time to tell the security guard to let Moon stay, he took one last deep breath and focused. Then, it came to him: the page of Serena's cookbook that he kept staring at the day they hung out. Glowing was the word he had to spell. Not wasting any more time, he said, "Beignet. B-e-i-g-n-e-t. Beignet." _Thank you, Moon, Serena, all of you._

"Correct. And the winner of the thirty-second annual Chanswell Spelling Bee is Calem Thompson. Congratulations!" On cue, cheap, rainbow confetti fell from above Calem.

He stood there with an unwavering smile on his face as applause busted out. He didn't even remember that his parents left the room and didn't see his moment of victory. His friends were there. They were jumping and cheering at the top of their lungs, restraining themselves from hopping on stage and congratulating him, even Ash who had ran back to his seat when he lost the urge to use the restroom. And in the back of the room, Moon, who had yet to be escorted out, was cheering the loudest out of anyone, both due in part of her nature and from pride in the both of them.

 **~X~**

"We're going." Calem snatched the tickets out of Serena's hand and practically jumped out of his treehouse, running off to the Tempora Community Center without another word. He didn't even go back to his house to wash himself up.

"Okay, then." Serena followed after him, quickly catching up to the least athletic of Shadow of Losers. Ash left next, scurrying away to reach Serena since he didn't know how to get to their destination.

"Let's go!" Dawn pulled Riley's arm, bouncing with energy. He nodded and walked over the rope ladder exit, even though the metal slide one was closer. It was left unused as Riley dashed off into the night, shaking his head of the memory of stomping down the slide running away from Dawn five years prior.

The group managed to meet at Tempora Center at the same time with a couple of minutes to spare. There was no line for entry at the entrance to the auditorium, but a guard standing at the door gave them hope. Calem held the tickets out in front of all of them as they stood in a circle, then ripped them along the lines to hand them out. "We're here for her."

"That's what Riley told us back there," Ash said. A look shot his way shut him up. _Hah, sure, man, sure. I can't wait to see._ "Nostalgic, ain't it?"

"Yeah…" Serena tightly clutched her ticket. Her hands suddenly moved to pat her stomach and skirt. Looking at the others, Serena sighed. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" Riley kept his eye on Dawn, who was ready to walk into the theater.

"Wait, wait, don't go in yet." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "We're dressed like idiots at a proper event." Everyone observed Calem in his school uniform reeking of dust, Ash in his football jersey smelling of sweat, and Riley and Serena in casual clothes that were not presentable in the setting they were in. "Didn't Moon tell us that her classes always were full of snobby and fashionable girls?"

Without hesitating, Ash said," Welp, too late to go change." He walked up to the guard and flashed his ticket. Nothing could have been helped, so they followed Ash's steps into the theater.

Only four empty seats remained in the auditorium full of people in formal attire. Luckily for them, they were four adjacent folding chairs starting at the left side of the room. Unluckily for them, they were empty because the two innermost seats were covered in spilled soda, while the end two had wrappers thrown at their feet. Ash went in first and sat down in a puddle of warm cola, not even looking at his seat. "Aw!"

Next followed Serena, who was reluctantly ushered into the seat beside Ash by Calem who wanted to not have a sticky chair. Calem sat down, followed by Riley with Dawn landing on his shoulder standing in the aisle. Serena stood, unable to bring herself to stain her skirt and saturate it with soft drink. Ash noticed quickly and pulled the sweater he had slung over his shoulder off. He folded it over and put it on her chair, completely shielding her from the spill. She looked at him with glowing eyes. "Thank you, Ash."

"No prob, Serena!"

Calem rolled his eyes in the dimly lit room at the two's interaction. Staring at the stage with its curtains drawn was the only thing he could do comfortably. "The performance will begin in ten minutes. Thank you for your patience," said a voice from a speaker at the front. Unknown to the five of them, what was happening backstage was nothing they could have imagined.

 **~X~**

"Where is Alana?" the choreographer and stage director of the recital screeched. She was all dolled up, possibly even more so than her students. Hiding in the corner directly behind the woman, obscured by the creases of the large curtain separating the stage from the crowd, was Moon in a tutu with her hair done up all fancy.

"I don't want to be here…" Moon touched her dress, which was tight around the stomach and loose at the chest since it was fitted for the original lead and not her. _Mrs. Smith isn't even hiding how disappointed she is that I'm the lead. Why did Alana have to quit for this performance?_

Another dancer looked up from her phone and called out, "She said she _might_ be here in like ten minutes."

The stressed teacher visibly relaxed at the news and grabbed a microphone put off to the side. "The performance will begin in ten minutes. Thank you for your patience." She didn't even take into account how long it would take for Alana to change into her dancing attire, much less how Moon would feel about it. With satisfaction written on her face, she looked around and approached Moon. "I'm sorry to say this, Mona, but Alana will be coming to perform tonight. She'll be taking back her place as prima ballerina, so you're going to have to change out if we get more news about her, okay?" She didn't even know Moon's name. For the nearly eight years of Moon's attendance in the woman's dance classes, she had called the girl "Mona" without fail each time she had to address her. Moon never even had the chance to correct her.

Only nodding and faking a smile, Moon sat down and slid off her slippers. _Why don't you just say what you really mean out right? Might be less painful if you admitted that you didn't like me that much. That one time I came late for a dance as a background character, you made me sit out. Now you're delaying the performance so Alana can take my place? Thanks…_

"I'm very sorry. This is your last performance with us, too, isn't it? I'm sorry you can't attend any more of my classes." The teacher was lying to keep her reputation. _This girl is such an oddity. Never talks and has the grace of an elephant most of the time. I only cast her as the lead's understudy because I thought she would never see the light of day on the stage tonight. But, Alana had to go and quit… At least she won't be dancing tonight. Tonight is my first completely original dance, and this Mona will not be ruining it for me._ Moon kept nodding and tried to blink her tears away.

One minute passed, then five, then ten, and still no more news on Alana. "Where is she?!" Mrs. Smith shouted.

"She stopped texting me!" replied the girl from earlier.

"I already announced ten minutes… I can't delay it longer!" _My mentor is here today, too, and "the show must go on".. Ooh, if Alana isn't coming, then I have to send Mona out… Damn it all!_ "Mona, put your shoes back on. We're starting. Luckily for you, Alana isn't here. Unluckily for me…" Mrs. Smith had whispered the last part.

Moon scrambled to slip back into her shoes and comprehend the situation. _Wait, I_ am _dancing? But, I feel sick now…_ She clutched her stomach as she heard murmurs from an antsy crown beyond the satin curtain. _The dance was delayed, too. They're expecting a good show now… I can't do it… And no one is even here for me… But I do want to dance..._ "Then here's my swan song."

The curtains raised to reveal six girls kneeling on the stage with a gap separating three from the others. The piano in front of the stage started up as the lights turned on. Moon took one deep breath and nodded her head. _I can do this._ Taking light, airy bounds to centerstage, Moon revealed her face to the crowd.

In the audience, Serena squirmed in her seat, trying to get a good view of the stage, squinting severely all the while. _Damn, I'm nearsighted as fuck!_ Deciding that Moon was more important than her pride, she grabbed Calem and reached a hand to the inside pocket of his jacket. "Hold still."  
"What do you think-" He heated up from being groped without warning. By Serena, no less.

"Quiet." Serena struck gold in the form of his glasses case. Permission not granted, she took it out and put them on. Their prescriptions happened to be a near-perfect match, something that stayed the same from years prior. She was no stranger to "borrowing" his glasses in times of need. "Better." She blindly shoved the case back at him.

"Of course." He let it pass and he himself squinted harshly at the stage. _You're welcome, Serena. Seriously..._

Back when the pianist began playing, a girl all dressed up climbed up the stairs behind the instrument to backstage. She went up to Ms. Smith and said, "I'm here."

The teacher's voice contorted as she shook a fist at Moon. "You come _now_?! I already sent out your lackluster understudy!"

Back on stage, Moon took only two strides with her head held high before things fell to ruin. One of the dancers already on stage had her leg protruding farther out than she thought, resulting in a tumble down in front of nearly a hundred pairs of eyes as Moon took a prancing skip behind her. Moon froze with her face kissing the floor, unwilling to move any more as laugher came from several people.

Two rows behind Ash were two guys he recognized from his school, pointing their phones at the stage and laughing at the defeated Moon. "Yo! And they're supposed to be good? And I thought my sister would fuck up on there tonight!" Calem also turned to see the hooting teenagers, anger bubbling within.

Ms. Smith swooped to the stage with a microphone in one hand, using the other to roughly yank Moon up. "I'm so sorry about this mess. Please excuse her; she's the understudy." Moon sobbed upon realizing how perhaps even dancing provided no relief from stress in her life. Mrs. Smith seemed to have no trouble putting Moon to blame. "But, fear not! The real lead is here right now, and we will restart the performance. It will be much less painful to watch, guaranteed!"

"The fuck?" Ash and Serena said through the laughs and murmurs of the audience. Moon had never looked so defeated and miserable. Riley looked on with disgust. Dawn sank down on her knees and wanted so badly to help Moon.

Calem, a man not of action, decided to stand up for his friend. _She did it for me. I'll do it for you, tit-for-tat. This is absurd; who reacts like this?_ he thought, referring to both her teacher and the audience. _I'm not caving in to Riley's wants with this. I'm doing this of my own accord._

He stood up just as the lights in the room flickered on. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Serena dropped her jaw at the determined look Calem had. _No way, he's not gonna..._

Not getting as much attention as he wanted, Calem channeled the Moon from six years past. He bravely and shakily stood up on his chair, using Serena as a balance, ridicule and shame eluding him. People looked at him, and Mrs. Smith said, "Will the young man please sit down properly?"

With everyone in the room staring at him except Moon (who was facing the floor, struggling to not cry), he knew what he had to do. Uncharacteristically, he chanted with both fists in the air, "Let her dance. Let her dance!"

* * *

Author's note: Yeah, Moon's having a bad , if anyone really cares, I changed Moon's last name from "Park" to "Lukin" because I, being the uncultured swine that I am, didn't realize that "Moon" or "Mun" was a legitimate Korean name. I needed Moon's first name to be as odd-sounding as it could be in their context.

To the reviews:

Mythgirl: Thanks a bunch for another review. Yep, Calem isn't all he's chocked up to be. And, if your school was anything like mine, pre-calc should mostly be like a review of trig with some new stuff sprinkled in. Or, I could be totally wrong since the year after I took it, they changed the trig curriculum drastically. Anyway... let's just enjoy summer right now, heh.

destawaits: Alright, nice to know. Thank you for reviewing. As for the profiles, here we go. I didn't actually realize how many characters I gave significance in this story, so thanks for pointing that out. Sorry if you and anyone got confused along the way.

I tried to make them as charming as I could, like in _Fire Emblem_ , but probably ended up with strings of semi-good-sounding one-liners... I realize that they're mostly fragments...

 **~X~**

Recurring characters:

 **Dawn Zheng** (12/17): Pulled from Sinnoh games and the anime. Happy-go-lucky, loud, cheerful. Closest with Riley, Serena, and Moon. Prior to her death five years ago, she was the glue that held Shadow of Losers together. Always happy and fun-loving, she never stressed about the future and the small stuff. After her death, Shadow of Losers went to ruin. Reappeared as a spirit who needs her wish granted to pass on to Riley and apparently Calem. Gets bored easily. Has a crush.

 **Riley Reyes** (21): Pulled from Sinnoh games. Quiet, tired, distant. Goes to Journey High School. The closest friend to Dawn before her death. After it, he locked himself in his room for a year, and has never gone to school regularly. Very much wants to help Dawn as she appeared before him. Feels guilty about what happened. Given up on a lot of things. He has a bleak outlook on the future. Prefers staying alone at home playing games, away from other people. Loves math. Has a crush.

 **Serena Lanier** (18): Pulled from _X_ & _Y_ (kinda from the anime. Goes to High Horizon Academy. I haven't watched 99% the Kalos arc and on due to things). Snarky, caring, two-faced. Closest with Calem, Dawn, and Moon. Neighbors with Calem, and hates it. Prior to Dawn, she was quiet and kind; after, she turned mostly into a stereotypical teenage girl. Prioritizes appearance over many things. Secretly insecure. Feels guilty about Dawn. Loves cooking, particularly desserts. Has a crush.

 **Moon Lukin** (17): Pulled from Sun & _Moon_. Awkward, goofy, secretive. Goes to Journey High School. Closest with Dawn and Serena. The one who stayed the same the most after Dawn. Frequents video games, anime, and dance as an escape. Constantly compares herself with her sister Luna. Is the older sister by a year. She tries her best at everything, but feels like the end is nearing. Mom holds high expectations that she breaks under the pressure of. Loves dance. Practices doing Z-moves in secret in front of a mirror. Has socializing problems. Don't get on her bad side. Smiling is her answer to everything. Has a crush.

 **Calem Thompson** (17): Pulled from X & _Y_. Clever, demeaning, overachieving. Goes to High Horizon Academy. Closest with Serena and Riley. Serena's neighbor, and not proud of it. Parents are a doctor and politician, and he feels the need to match them as their son. Tries too hard. Cracks under the pressure. Looks down on people. The one most unaffected by Dawn's passing. Doesn't actually like school. Despises math. Not as smart as he makes himself out to be. Anxious about his future. Can see Dawn too. Has a crush.

 **Ash Collins** (18): From the anime. Enthusiastic, optimistic, upbeat. Goes to Journey High School. Closest with Dawn and Serena. He was devastated by Dawn's passing, but managed to move on. One of the best players on his football team. Loves sports. Ignorant and not ashamed of it, he's kind of a pushover unless he's passionate. The first to believe in Dawn; hopeful about her presence. Wants to help her with her wish the most. Tries to pull everyone together and keep it that way on his own volition. Likes happy endings. Has a crush.

Mrs. Smith: OC. Moon's dance teacher who doesn't care for Moon in the least bit. Cares only about her reputation. Not pleasant. Switches opinion depending on what benefits her the most.

Luna Lukin(16): Default main female character of _Ultra Sun_ and _Ultra Moon_. Moon's younger sister who is somewhat of her polar opposite. Confidant and sociable, Moon wishes she could be Luna. Has friends, tries to balance them with Moon, but fails. Prone to conforming to peer pressure. Supports Moon, but dance isn't her thing. Got this idea kinda from how _Ultra_ _Sun_ and _Ultra Moon_ are technically younger games, but are more polished. The _USUM_ protagonist _is_ the one from _Sun_ and _Moon_ , just with braids, so my mind kinda went places on her. Has a crush.

Gabriella and Sharon: OCs. Luna's friends who are not Moon's. Teenage girls who wanna have fun. Pulls Luna into their antics and know she'll follow. Not the best friends. Interchangeable characters.

Nancy, Emily, and Jessica: OCs. Serena's "friends" who are stereotypical teenage girls that are concerned only about themselves. Speaks their minds, not afraid of repercussions or offending people. Not good friends to have. Interchangeable with each other.

Lillie: From Alola games. Gladion's sister. Radiant, happy, encouraging. Moon's tutor and closest friend not Shadow of Losers or Luna. Works at Cafe Fairy with Moon.

Gladion: From Alola. Lillie's brother. Closest with Lillie, Luna, and Hau. Close enough with Moon. Serious, reluctant, used to Moon's awkward antics. Has a crush.

Hau: From Alola. Spunky and excitable, closest with Luna, Lillie, and Gladion. Close with Moon. Likes fried desserts. Need anything else be said?

Gary: Mostly based off of Kanto and game Gary. Ash's close friend. Cocky and arrogant, used to having things his way. Dumped his job at GameStop on Ash and split the profit.

Drew: From Hoenn anime. Egotistical and arrogant, Ash's friend who is full of himself. Not welcoming of strangers, i.e. Riley.

Misty: From anime. Ash's close friend and workout buddy. Personalities clash, but they get along. Fight and have fun, rinse and repeat for them. Wary of Riley being Ash's friend. Needs her morning coffee. Has a crush.

Stephan: From the Unova anime. Ash's football teammate. Concerned about his friend not attending practice.

Johanna: From Sinnoh anime. Dawn's mother. Moved on from grief by forgetting. Left Dawn's room the way it always was. Rocky relationship with her son. Tired.

Lucas: Take him as the character from Sinnoh or as an OC; not sure what happened with him. Moved on by forgetting Dawn. Not happy. Moody. Doesn't want to go to college anymore; depressed. Doesn't respond well to Johanna's pushing.

Mr. Reyes: OC. Riley's dad. Blunt and distant. Barely interacts with his son except to ask every weekday morning, "Are you going to school today?"

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson: OCs, kinda Kalos rival's parents. Calem's parents. Are a politician and a doctor respectfully. Have high reputations that they expect Calem to uphold. Hold high expectations for their son ever since he told them he wanted to be just like them. Busy, not home a lot, leave Calem longing and don't know his true feelings.

Delia Collins: From anime. Ash's mother who is supportive and kind. The one who tried to keep everyone informed about Dawn and Riley. Like a mother to all of Shadow of Losers.

Grace Lanier: From Kalos. Serena's mother. Concerned about the crowd her daughter fell into years ago. Marathon runner that shows tough love sometimes.

Mrs. Lukin: OC or Alola's mother. Moon and Luna's mother. Proud of Luna, not Moon. Expects better out of her older daughter. Supportive of grades, not games and dance. A cat person.

Lazy cashier: OC. Cashier at bodega near Calem's. Lazy, obnoxious, failing student at High Horizon that makes you wonder how some people make it to high school. Relies on copying homework and cheating on tests to make it through school.


	11. Aftermath

"Inspiring" and "persuasive" were two words that couldn't be farther from describing Calem's chant. His natural stiffness and lack of charisma made him a bigger fool than he expected. The whole audience sat by to watch him embarrass himself, even his companions. Not even crickets chirping came his way.

On stage, Moon finally decided to look up. She was caught off guard by the sudden silence, then the obviously somehow forced yet genuine loud cheer. Mortification struck her once she saw the source of the chant, but for Calem and not herself. _This can't get any worse for me. But, my God, Calem, what are you doing? It's so painful to sit through._

Mrs. Smith's grip on Moon's wrist tightened as Calem received everyone's attention in support of Moon, not her preferred Alana. Moon wished she could shake free of the hold, but decided otherwise due to the shock of her fall, not wanting to cause an even greater scene, and intrigue as to how Calem was going to see things through.

Realizing that no one was going to join him, even Ash, Calem decided to switch gears. _There's no turning back from this mess. I've dug this hole, so let's fill it. You owe me, Moon._ Reason, his best tool, came to play. Calem cleared his throat, and still standing on his chair, shouted so everyone could hear, "Pardon. I apologize for my outburst."

Serena exhaled sharply both as a laugh and from relief of Calem acknowledging his foolishness. _I actually would have joined in if he kept going. But, I'm not sure if that's what Moon wants…_

"It's just, I find no reason to postpone the performance any further. Since the stumble was at the very beginning, why not just start over as is? Why a need for a cast change?" Calem crossed his arms and tilted his chin up, staring directly at Mrs. Smith. _Just pretend this is like one of those showdowns on television of debate teams. If I don't give in and win, I wouldn't have embarrassed myself. You all better hope I win!_

"I'm sorry, young man, but may I ask who dares have the audacity to question _my_ decisions? I am the stage director, and what I say will go." Mrs. Smith had yet to release Moon.

"I am merely requesting an explanation for your creating such a fuss over nothing. Allow Moo- I mean, allow the young lady to try again." He caught himself before he said her name. _If I use her name, people would obviously call me out on being unobjective in my argument, arguing for the sake of an acquaintance._

Puckering her artificially red lips, Mrs. Smith said, "As I said, this young lady is the understudy. The true lead dancer is here now."

Before she could say anything else, Calem cut in, "I fail to see how her being the understudy would result in her being booted from the performance." _Take the bait. Show your true colors._

Murmurs started to come from the audience. Time was of the essence to many. No one came to watch an argument between a middle-aged woman and a high school student.

Serena felt embarrassment for Calem warping into it for herself as a convenient spotlight moved to showcase Calem. She was also in the light's large area of effect as luck would have her. Eyes on Calem felt like eyes on her. She tugged on his pant leg discreetly and moved to stand up. He kicked at her gently and refused to step down.

"Moon here only went on stage because Alana, the original lead, was not here yet. Moon is the understudy. But, now that Alana is here, and we are going to restart the performance, we have no need for Moon anymore." The dance teacher lowered the microphone as if she had the last word.

Calem found it extremely absurd how no one else in the crowd except Serena made a move to interrupt their talk. _More bystanders by the minute. Surprisingly,_ I'll _be the hero today?_ "And that changes what? Yes, this Alana is here now, but she was not here in the beginning? There is no reason to give her priority. If she was not here by the time of the performance, then it would be safe to say she relinquished her title as lead dancer tonight. Also, you had already sent Moon out to dance. Isn't it quite rude to replace her so suddenly and heartlessly?"

"It is _because_ she's the understudy that she should step down. Alana was meant to go on stage. Moon was not." Calem smirked. He knew that she was on a downward spiral just by saying that. More whispers broke out in the crowd. "Besides, Moon embarrassed me quite enough already tonight."

"Embarrassed _you_?" Calem raised an eyebrow. Beside him, Serena, who had yet to let go of his pant leg, scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I didn't say that!" Her voice was even more obnoxious and suffocating than it was before. "It is obvious that Moon cannot dance. Just look at what she did! It only makes sense that a better dancer take her place. Especially seeing as though she was not meant to be the star in the first place."

"Why even cast me?" Moon mumbled from her spot. Although sad, she was revelling in the fact that everyone was paying attention to her teacher and friend instead of her.

Calem shook his head to both appear confident and show his disgust for her attitude. "Yes, she took a tumble, but doesn't everyone?"

"No, she cannot dance." She meant it in both ways, that Moon had no skills and that Moon would not be in the show anymore. "And who are you to speak to me in such a way? Know your place, young man."

Mrs. Smith thought she had the last word. She _knew_ she did. Or did she? As Calem was busy trying to put into words how wrong she was, Serena dodged his absent-minded kick at her to stay down and instead stood up on her own chair. Deciding that she would have to step up to protect her friend, she let embarrassment fall unto her. Mrs. Smith turned around and tugged Moon along with her back stage, but not before Serena said, "It's not fair to not let her dance!"

The dance teacher froze and contorted her face hideously recognizing the voice to be female. That meant that there were multiple people willing to stand against her and risk publicly humiliating her. She turned back around and spoke into her microphone again. "I'm sorry?"

"You already sent her onstage. She went onstage. The performance started with her as the lead role. It doesn't even matter that she's the understudy or not now! And even if it did, she's just fulfilling her role by dancing." Serena almost let a snarl out. How self-righteous people ticked her off so. Murmurs with tones of general agreement came from people who sided with the two teens but failed to care enough to openly support them. "It's too late for this Alana to take back her role when you already gave it to Moon."

Serena smiled smugly, knowing that she called out Mrs. Smith's bullshit quite well. The teacher refused to step down, saying, "There is no reason why this argument is happening. As I said, Alana will take back the lead, which Moon is obviously incapable of playing. End story."

Riley stood up next. Beside him, Dawn massaged his shoulders like he was getting ready to step inside a boxing ring. He was ready and willing to pick up the slack for their argument. Voice cracking initially, he held more confidence in his words as he went along saying, "You are her teacher, are you not?"

From her spot, Moon heard her teacher say under her breath, "Another goddamn brat."

"As such, you should acknowledge that your students make mistakes, not strive to cover them up. Are you embarrassed by your student?" Riley related very much to his own words.

Plastering on a fake smile and holding a fake sweet tone, Mrs. Smith said, "No, of course not!"

"Then why are you so ready to throw Moon off the stage? Mistakes are common for everybody. No one is perfect. People trip, stumble, what have you. Moon is no exception." Riley took a deep gasp, calming himself from the stares of dozens and dozens of strangers watching, judging him.

Mrs. Smith was trapped in a corner. She had no true other reason to take Moon off besides the fact that she didn't like the young lady. Previous recitals of the teacher's had the leads trip up a number of times, some even multiple times a show. At least Moon's was done in the very beginning, where the whole show was left to focus on rather than her fall. Trying to cover up her shallow, biased reasons, she said, "I understand that. However, Moon was not meant to be on this stage... It was a casting accident!" She thought she was covering herself up so well. "Moon was meant to be a stage hand, but oh, you know how technology is! A typo is why she was the understudy!"

Serena twitched her neck. _You old hag._ "Then you got her hopes up for nothing? Even threw her on stage with low hopes and faith in her?" More audience members started whispering, most mouthing badly of the teacher trying to hold her own in a very likely losing battle against three young adults. "Then have the gall to so easily discard her when someone better shows up? Without even giving her a fair chance?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic!" Mrs. Smith tried to wave Serena off. "It's not like that, I assure you." How empty her words were. Moon would have rather not been cast at all, especially given her predicament.

Calem held a hand up. "Have you waxed the stage floor recently?"

Caught off guard, the dance teacher answered hesitantly, "I'm not too sure."

Before she could say anything further, Calem continued, "Are the spotlights coming from behind the audience not shining in a harmful way in the eyes onstage dancers?"

"Er, well-"

"Perhaps someone onstage had their leg extended a tad too far and accidently tripped Moon?" That was actually what happened.

"Of course not!" she said all too quickly and defensively.

"The costumes are too constrictive?"

"I-" The costume Moon was wearing was actually constricting her, as it was fitted for the original lead.

"Asked if Moon wanted to dance?" Calem crossed his and glared at the lady on stage.

"That doesn't matter!"

"I'm afraid it does. Your actions are clearly in the wrong. Without knowing the onstage conditions completely, as well as completely ignoring the interests of the student you 'accidently' cast, I'm amazed she herself hasn't called you out on your bull. Both can be attributed to negligence. Since _you_ didn't care enough, _you_ practically allowed her to trip on stage, yet you seen very keen on placing blame on her apparent dance ineptitude." Calem was getting into it. "You haven't even checked to see if she was injured or not. Had she twisted her ankle, or even wished to pursue legal action, this is an offence that should not be taken the way you are."

"You!" Mrs. Smith pointed angrily at Calem, hand shaking from clenching so hard.

"Goddamn, this is _still_ going?" said a young man sitting in the front row loudly, pulling an ear bud out. Other comments of the sort came from the audience. "Nobody cares!"

"You obviously don't have Moon's interest at heart." Serena moved to step back down onto ground level, pulling Calem down with her. "Enough. We won," she whispered while adjusting his glasses on her face.

"Yeah, you go!" Dawn shouted which only Riley heard. "Let her dance! Let her try again! One more try. One more try!"

Riley decided to get his last word in. "This argument was entirely unnecessary. This could have easily been avoided if you just gave Moon one more try, which she deserves, especially after this ordeal."

After a moment of dead air, an older man in an expensive suit stood up. "I'm sorry, but will this show be continuing or not? I took time off from my busy job to see my daughter dance. If it is not, I'll be taking her and leaving."

An older woman stood up. "Enough with this back and forth! I don't care who the lead is. This isn't Broadway or nothing. I came here to see my Hanna tonight, like I always do. What is even happening?" Many people called out in agreement.

Mrs. Smith had obvious panic on her face. Not only were parents of her students questioning her methods, but they were also dollar signs threatening to walk away. Not only would she lose face, but she would lose revenue as well.

Ash, who had been silent the whole time, mostly due to a massive stomach ache setting in from who knows what (which had finally gone away), stood up. Clinging on to one phrase out of Riley's mouth, he clapped loudly, stomped his foot, and chanted, "One more try. One more try!" just like Dawn had been the whole time.

He went on for a few solid seconds before anyone joined him. Riley, who decided to go all out that night, did his best to keep up with Ash's rhythm. Then went Serena, and finally Calem. Moon looked at them with happiness swelling within. _You guys… Thank you. I don't care about anyone else right now. If you believe me…_

A child no less than five decided to go along with the four young adults chanting lamely as a room full of mostly adults stared at the four like they were at the circus. Serena could have sworn that out of the corner of her eye, the two teens behind them who were previously laughing at Moon's fall were recording the four chanting. She waved it off and decided to only care about Moon, not like she would have done anything else.

What broke the camel's back was a woman older than Mrs. Smith standing up in the front row. She held a hand up, to which the four teens responded to by slowly killing their chant. "Jane, what are you doing?"

"Hmm, Ms. Momoka?" She held another fake smile. _Why is she standing up now? What kind of question was that? She can't be siding with those idiot brats in the back row. She's my mentor!_

"Not only are you holding up the show, but you are wasting all of our time"—she did a broad sweep with her arms to the audience behind her—" _and_ not being fair to the young lady you sent on stage as the lead. It does not matter what happened behind the scenes. What matters is what happens on stage."

"But-" _Why is everybody against me?_

"Young lady, Moon?" The elder woman gestured to Moon. "Do you know how to dance this dance?" Moon nodded her head swiftly several times. "Do you want to be in this performance?" Another nod; meanwhile, Mrs. Smith was fuming on the inside. "Do you want to be the lead?"

Moon nodded her head a final few times. _Yes, I do! They fought for me so hard even though they could have not. They embarrassed themselves for me. They supported me. I won't let that go to waste. For them… and for_ me _, I want to dance!_

"I think that says it all, doesn't it Jane?" Ms. Momoka shook her head at her old student. "That is, unless there are any objections?"

The audience was silent and exhausted by just listening to the argument, and not even Alana, the "true" lead spoke up (she was busy texting her boyfriend). After receiving a final look from her mentor, Mrs. Smith faked yet another smile and said, "Okay. We will be restarting the performance with Moon as the lead now. Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy this production. Dancers, places." Her voice was very strained in saying this. She finally let go of Moon, who walked back stage in and daze, realizing that something finally went her way that day. The audience groaned, finally getting the show they came for instead of the drama that was there but a minute ago.

After three minutes, the lights turned on again and the piano started up once more. Moon pranced onto the stage with a smile on her face that she held the entire show. And of course the performance was excellent. And of course, at the end, the five were the ones cheering the loudest.

 **~X~**

The group sat in a booth in Cafe Fairy, all girls on one bench and boys on the other. Riley sat opposite Dawn closest to the edge of the table, Moon's bag and jacket were opposite Ash, and Serena sat across Calem (the latter of which was pressing himself against the wall while Ash unintentionally kept elbowing him harshly).

Ten minutes of surprising comfortable silence passed them by until Moon came back to the table, freshly changed out of her recital outfit. Dawn stood up just in time for Moon to slide in beside Serena. Moon picked up the pot of black coffee sitting on the table and began to pour the liquid into the empty cup in front of Calem, who was the one person that ordered something (which allowed them all to occupy the table without being kicked out, as Moon told them). Riley hoped Moon wasn't allowed any artistic license with the drink.

Cutting the silence, Moon said, with all she had, "Thank you all." She set the pot back on that table. "Thank you so much for what you did for me."

Serena slung her right arm around Moon's shoulders. "No problem. I don't regret it. Would do it again, even."

"Yeah, I mean, you woulda done the same for us, right?" Ash smiled at her.

"Yup," Moon quietly said, bashfully rubbing her arm.

Calem and Riley stayed quiet, and no one bothered instigating anything. The former had said more than enough that night, which Moon accepted gratefully. The latter had a positive expression that contrasted with his usual one speaking for him. Dawn, who had decided to stand beside Riley and use his shoulder as an elbow cushion, kept clapping and giggling to herself. "Man, Moon was awesome. Calem was awesome. You were awesome. _Everybody_ was awesome back there!"

Under his breath, Riley said, "Yeah." A feeling that had not existed in him for a long time emerged and warmed him. _Just like… it was before…_

Just as Dawn prepared herself to say something she wanted Riley parroting for her, Moon did for her. "I loved tonight. Despite how garbage this morning was, tonight, I just can't put into words." Moon looked at everyone and squeezed her hands together. "Like old times, all of us together like we used to. It can be done."

As obvious as she was that her words were meant to be taken lightly, what Moon said echoed in the ears of everybody. "Amen to that," Dawn said.

"You got that right," Ash said. The three most vocal and hearts-on-their-sleeves-type people of the six had spoken up. All that was left to prove the silent ones wrong was they themselves.

Serena, the only one teetering on the edge of the two distinct personality types of the group, couldn't stop herself from agreeing. Watching Calem awkwardly press himself against the wall, she said, "Birds of a feather, huh?"

Two remained. However, it was obvious that it would soon turn to one given the topic. Dawn tightly gripped Riley's shoulder and waited with bated breath for his response. Riley scratched the back of his head. "We should… do this again sometime."

Hums of agreement came from everyone except Calem. They turned to look at him, expecting his voice to ring out. His coffee took precedence. After slowly sipping it dry, he cleared his throat several times. Then, he held his hand out to Serena and coughed again. After clenching it open and closed many times, Serena took the hint. She took off his glasses, which she had forgotten she stole from him, wiped it clean out of courtesy with her shirt, and dropped it in his hand. He returned it to his case with not even a "thanks".

"Riley," Dawn sang. _We're here, together, all six of us. If we get Calem on board, then it's one step closer to…_ "Hey. My wiiish! My wishy, washy, whoosh."

 _Which is? And what do you want me to do now? Calem is a brick wall_ , Riley thought. But, Dawn wasn't wrong. For the first time in so long, the five of them were together and _not_ arguing or snapping at each other. No snark, fisticuffs, or pure animosity butted its head. A calm existed, and Riley didn't want it to end. That they were all managing to get along that night, he wished it could last forever.

Ash, as always, was the first to break the ice. "Yeah, you know, I've got a game next week. You should all come!"

Calem scoffed and downed his coffee. "Athletics are not my forte."

"No one asked you," Serena whispered to herself. Louder, she said, "I'll totally go, Ash."

"You should all come. It's Journey versus High Horizon. It was supposed to be a while ago, but got rescheduled due to rain and stuff." Ash stared at Calem, who they all knew would be the one to continue putting down the offer.

Moon, to everyone's surprise, responded first. "I actually can't make it." She fidgeted in her spot, ignoring Serena's hair resting on her own arm, and churned her gears. "I, uh… Reasons."

"What game do you have?" Dawn asked, knowing that was just one of many reasons as to why Moon didn't want to go.

Keeping on the decline train, Riley went next. "Yeah, sports aren't really my thing. And, I probably shouldn't show my face around school for a while. Because… reasons." Copying Moon seemed to fit their flow the best. Ash seemed confused at the second part, but left it be.

"I am clearly not going." Calem pulled a small notebook out of his jacket pocket and started reading it. Serena knew it to be in-depth notes regarding his current classes, which touched all topics he was incompetent at. He shielded the contents from the others, like it was shameful to him, and pretended to give all focus to it. Secretly, he was still listening to the conversation.

"Damn. Well, if it can't be helped…" Ash looked down for just a second before pulling back up. "Well, why don't we hang out at the treehouse again next week? I'll bring board games or something."

"No." They were all slightly startled at Calem's firm response.

"That's a yes." Serena shot Calem a dirty look, knowing that her answer overrode his through persistence. His silence gave her the win.

"This is wrapping up quite nicely," Riley said under his breath. _This actually worked out. Maybe Dawn_ was _right… I actually hope she was._

"Yeah, this was pretty fun. Just hanging out and talking, yeah?" Moon looked expectantly at Serena.

Before anyone could leapfrog off of Moon's statement, another voice cut in. "Hey, Moon!"

The table looked to the source of sound and saw two boys and one girl around their age walking towards the table. Moon gasped at the sight of Luna, Lillie, and Gladion. Her sister pulled three chairs from empty tables to join the booth group. She looked at Lillie, an employee, for the okay, which was given. "Hello, everyone."

They sat down without permission, which left the original table hesitating and clammy around mostly strangers. Luna's chair cut off the bench her sister was on, and Gladion the boys'. In other words, the five were locked in conversation with the three. Dawn moved out of the way and resorted to sitting on the bench behind Riley's and leaning over the divider to see. "Hi," Moon awkwardly greeted.

"How's it going, Moon?" Luna seemed to have forgotten what transpired only earlier that day. With an oblivious yet genuine smile, she waited for an answer.

"It's been great… tonight at least." She had whispered the last part. "What are you guys doing here, though?" _What happened to your stupid movie?_

"Well, me and Gladion went to see a movie with friends, but it was pretty boring, so we left. We saw Lillie just outside and came in together. Then we saw you!" She squeezed her sister's hand and smiled. It was almost as if the others weren't even there. Luna was not too well acquainted with Moon's friends, so it stood to reason she wasn't overbearing or trying too hard.

"Hey, to you, too," Serena mumbled. _Did we all disappear except for Moon or something? Luna obviously is only comfortable in her own environment. But, why would she not just take Moon and run, though?_

Calem, in his own little world, rolled his eyes several times over at the newcomers. _The world doesn't revolve around you. Now, I can't even leave. Thank you for that._

Moon faked the biggest smile she could and said, "That's too bad. No refund, huh?" Internally, she screamed, _What the fuck? You ditched me to see that goddamn movie, and you didn't even see it through to the end? Am I that forgettable and unimportant? Even Calem came..._ One-sided tensions rose between sisters.

"Nah." Luna put a finger to her chin and looked the four others she knew not too well down. After hitting her eureka moment, she smiled again. "Hey, it's great to see you guys again. Been a while, huh?" She obviously was trying her best to get along, but she definitely did not know what was going on with the group. She addressed them as if they all still hung out like they did before.

"Yeah," Serena said for them all.

"Hmm, but I can't help but think that something's missing…" Luna pointed at each person and bit her lip.

The five froze, knowing what Luna was leading up to: Dawn. She didn't know any better. Moon tried diverting attention, saying, "Hey, Lillie, tutoring at Luna's place tomorrow?" She winced upon rerunning the sentence in her head. _Why did I say that? Did I even think? No, no I didn't._

Gladion raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't you mean your place?"

"Ha ha, yeah…" Moon tried to shake the bad feeling off. _Way to go. And in front of Gladion, too… It seems all I do around him is embarrass myself and drag him into my affairs. Sorry, man…_

Lillie tried to lift the mood. "So, what brings you all here tonight?"

"Reasons," Moon quickly answered. _Please, don't mention tonight to her, guys._

Calem coughed, and the members of Shadow of Losers knew it was out of discomfort and awe. _Beg pardon? Riley said that you refused to attend her recital tonight. And now you don't even recall it's existence? Shouldn't you even apologize or something? Not in front of us, but…_

Ash knew he should stay quiet; he was lucky no one was expecting him to answer. Riley struggled to formulate anything proper and substantial to say. Serena, though, wanted to rub salt in a seemingly closed wound after catching on quickly. She sat straighter and said, "We came back from seeing Moon."

"Seeing her what?" Luna was at a loss. She was also still hung up on what she felt and knew was missing from the picture in front of her. "Oh, yeah! Moon, I saw what happened in your English class this morning. Sharon and Gabriella showed me a video. Are you alright?"

"Uh-huh," Moon uttered and nodded like an idiot. _Why bring that up? No, wait, they were filming that? Then they probably laughed at it and posted it on a social media thing… Fuck! Did you have to see it, Luna?_

Under the table, Moon vigorously shook Serena's knee while holding her empty smile, both to comfort herself and stop the other girl from talking. Ignoring it, Serena went back on track and said, "From her dance recital."

A light bulb soon lit up above Luna as she had a realization. "Oh, yeah! So, how was it, Moon? I mean, I'm sure next time you'll be cast to dance at all, so…" She tapped her fingertips together and meant well. Her words did anything but encourage and comfort Moon, however.

Before anyone else could speak or correct Luna, namely Serena, Moon went. "It was pretty fun…" Her head wandered for a moment to the high she felt when she successfully executed the complicated climax move of the performance. She snapped out of it when Serena kicked her gently under the table. "I mean, Mrs. Smith kinda melted down for some reason, but, you know…"

"Yeah, she's pretty eccentric." Luna tried her best to keep the conversation flowing, even if the topic of dance and Moon's classes seemed to hit a dry spot in her mind.

"Can't deny that happened," Calem mumbled while turning a page.

"Darn, what's missing?" Luna looked back and forth at the five people in front of her to try to place her finger on what was missing to her. "It's on the tip of my tongue."

Riley stiffened as he felt Dawn shaking him. Unknown to Luna, she was causing great strain on all of them by how close she was to mentioning what was missing. Her ignorance did not bring them bliss. Attempting to divert the worst that could happen, Ash said, "So what's happening with you guys?"

Having them talk about themselves at first appeared to be an enticing way to lead Luna's thought process off track, but did nothing in reality. One awkward minute passed, then another. Finally, Luna snapped her fingers and gasped, standing up to talk. Everyone else curled their toes and fists under the table. "I got it! Where's your other friend? Dawn, right?"

She said it. It felt more stress-inducing than saying "Macbeth" in the theater. Uneasy groans and sounds of words trying to be formed were emitted by the five. Lillie, Gladion, and Luna looked on with oblivious faces at the antics of Moon's friends that matched her own. Calem cleared his throat again.

Luna didn't know the truth. That made it hurt all the much more for Moon, more than overhearing Luna's conversation with her friends earlier that day. Luna, at the time of Dawn's death, was too preoccupied with her own friends to notice her older sister's depression and lack of energy and ask about it. It couldn't be helped, however, since Moon's world wasn't Luna's. "Is something up?" the younger sister asked.

Eyes fell to Moon, who was the most appropriate person to tell her sister the truth. Dawn even stood up and moved to sit on the bench behind the girl, hand on her shoulders. Deep breaths and the answer plain as day gave Moon room to calm down. _There's nothing else to say. There's only the truth._ After looking at each of her main friends and twiddling her thumbs, Moon said, "Dawn's…" She gasped and felt her lips quiver, a sob almost escaping. "Dawn is... dead."

A suffocating atmosphere fell upon them as Luna sat back down. Time seemed to freeze as reality came crashing down again. The one topic everyone avoided talking about head on was just mentioned. Three simple words held so much gravity to the five. No one could forget, no matter what they said or did. Pain ran through their veins.

Lillie and Gladion looked at each other and decided that this was not their place to poke their nose into. "I'll see you tomorrow, Moon," Lillie whispered as she and her brother stood to leave. She squeezed Moon's sweaty hand over the table and said a genuine apology.

"I hope things work out," Gladion stiffly said, not knowing how he could approach the topic just thrown up besides walking away.

"Bye," Moon lifelessly said.

"I'm sorry. And I mean, so sorry for bringing that up. I didn't know." Luna fiddled with a tassel on her jacket. _I feel like such a stranger to my own sister right now. I'm so, so sorry._

"It's fine," Riley quickly said. _Just walk away like your other friends, please. You mean well, but you shouldn't stay._

"I'll leave in a few minutes. See you at home." Moon faked another smile. Slowly and reluctantly, Luna rose and turned to leave. With a shameful bow and wave, she exited the cafe.

More dead air followed her departure. Nothing could have been said. Everyone stared emptily at the table, not bothering to attempt conversation once more. Dawn, who recovered from the heavy words the easiest, only smiled and moved back to Riley. She tapped his shoulder and whispered, "It's okay. Just talk."

Riley breathed deeply once, then looked up, knowing that he couldn't do anything about the fact that Moon said. He had lamented and moped around enough for a lifetime in his past five years, anyway. Putting his hand on top of one of Dawn's, he knew what had to be done. _There's nothing we can change. It's not like we can wave a stupid wand around and make things alright again. No, that's just a fantasy. We can only change the future… and I hate that. But Dawn somehow manages to feel otherwise. She just keeps on smiling and trying her damnedest to get us to get along again, which we managed to just step on during most of our encounters. For her, and for me… For all of us, maybe working together is the answer for everything right now. The truth damn well hurts, but I can't deny it, no matter how much I want to._

"You good?" Dawn whispered. _I just want everybody to be happy…_

Riley simply said, "We need to grant Dawn's wish."

Everyone looked at him in a daze. One by one, they recovered and repeated his words. Even Calem.

Before he could be diffused, Riley kept speaking. "And don't give me any excuses. It's very clear that we can all get along." He stared at the scene in front of him. "And it's not like we have anything better to do. I'm sure that things can get better if we just…"

"Just what?" Serena tugged at her hair.

"Just became friends again, for starters."

Ash gave a small smile. "We stopped being friends?"

"I'm on board for anything right now." Moon scanned her eyes all about the room. Hesitating, she slowly said, "Is Dawn here?"

Riley and Dawn nodded their heads. "She's been with me all of today. She even went to your dance. And she doesn't want us beating ourselves up over things we can't change."

"She wants her wish to come true, right?" Ash adjusted the hat on his head, recalling what Riley told him when they first hung out with Moon the last month.

"It'll be something to take our minds off real life shit, that's for sure," Serena said. _If I had to choose between hanging out like now and with Emily and the others, I would choose this, for sure._

"Just hold on. We've been over this, haven't we, Riley?" Calem tucked his notebook away and shot him a look.

"What do you mean?"

"Your delusions and the like. Enough is enough, Riley. Moon's performance was pleasant to attend, however that's all it was. Don't misconstrue obligation for free will."

"You went on your own. In fact, you led the way to the center!" Serena was oh, so easily provoked by Calem.

"That was out of pity since Moon had no one else attending for her." Calem blinked harshly upon hearing a whimper from Moon.

Riley looked at Dawn. "But Dawn wants this. Can't you see her? Hear her? She's right behind me, and doesn't want us arguing or fighting."

"I'm afraid I don't see her behind you, simply because she isn't there." Everyone looked at Riley. Calem continued, "No one is here but us. I last saw Dawn on the night you dragged us all out on a Dawn search party."

Riley gawked and couldn't tell what was happening. Calem was most likely discrediting him, yet he seemed completely genuine in his words. He ran a hand through his hair and looked back at Dawn. _No, she's here, I know it. She's not a hallucination. She's really here…_

"Riley, are you okay?" Serena asked. _What's going on? Who to trust? I want to say Riley, but Calem is so much more believable._

"This is nice and all, a quaint little reunion. However, don't you think we are all too old to be doing this?" Calem stared Riley down. "We can't play chase like we're children. We're all borderline adults, so please discern between your dreams and reality." No one could counter that.

Doubt poisoned the mood. Had Riley been leading everyone on with a tall tale for the sake of attention or kicks and giggles? It wouldn't be too hard to have been lying the whole time. Was he chasing a dream of Dawn to try to get over what happened in the past? It was a possibility in their minds. After all, he had been the first to claim "seeing" Dawn and encouraging interaction the way he did, while no one else (save Calem) saw her. It took buckets of faith to believe Riley's side of the story, something that the others seemed to be losing due to Calem's account.

Pondering the thought gave way to no progress. It wasn't as if anyone was completely on board with either guy. But, it seemed like the time had come to pick a side. Riley versus Calem, trust versus rationale, possible pity versus possible concession. Riley's side was all the more kooky, but he was definitely the more reliable and honest one. Calem picked apart logic and laid it all out on the table with little wiggle room.

The only thing that was for certain was that they would either go all in, or walk away. Gambling was none of their forte, yet they had no other choice but to pick a side. At the end of whatever rainbow they traversed, one thing was for sure: Dawn wasn't coming back.

Riley, in midst of anxiety and odd guilt, blurted out whatever came to mind. "I'm sorry if everything that I've talked to you guys about in this past month has been so absurd. But, I swear, I'm not out to hurt anyone. Whatever you guys do is fine. I wouldn't blame you for… just walking away and leaving me behind. I admit, I must look like a looney case to you. But, one thing I don't actually want to forget…" Riley saw Dawn with her hands together out of the corner of his eye, in a praying stance. "We've made it this far. And we haven't torn each others' heads off. We can get along like we used to. We are still friends…"

More deep thought followed Riley's spiel. Calem put his two cents in. "Appealing to pathos is not, in any way, shape, or form, stronger than logos in this situation. Would you all seriously waste your time believing in an impossibility and chasing it to the universe's end for however long?" Calem stuttered a few times before speaking like he usually did. "Seriously. I even told you what Dawn told me. She doesn't want you all to look for her and waste all of out time. What happened was five years ago. Our story is done. We all need to move on, and none of us needs each other to do so."

With his head held high, Ash said, "Well, I believe in Riley."

Heads snapped to him for further elaboration. Calem looked ready to burst a blood vessel. Riley went slack jaw at his answer, saying, "Are you sure, Ash? You don't have to spare my feelings."

"Nah, man, I'm with you all the way. I believe that Dawn is still with us. I believe that she has a wish that never came true. I believe that she deserves to be sent off satisfied and happy. Even if she isn't here…" Ash looked around the cafe, wishing he could see Dawn as he spoke. "I mean, it's like faith, right? No one really knows if there's a god up there, but we look to religion and stuff to give us a reason to keep going. Our reason can be Dawn. Riley's right; we're friends!"

"Didn't know you could be so deep, Ash," Serena whispered. _But maybe, just maybe, he's right. If I did choose to believe, would helping Riley and "Dawn" equate atoning? Would I really feel better?_

Moon went next. "I game for anything. This wouldn't be the craziest thing I've heard." She smiled widely.

"This isn't a video game," Calem snapped.

"I know. But, what's granting one wish to spending all my free time indoors, doing nothing efficient? And... " She turned to Riley. "Dawn was the one who fished my recital tickets out of the trash can today, wasn't she?" She just had a feeling.

Chest swelling with elation, Riley nodded while holding Dawn's hand. "Wouldn't have gone to school today if it hadn't been for her."

"Truth or placebo, memories and talking about Dawn, even, are actually making me feel better now." Moon hugged herself and tapped her foot giddily.

"I'm in." Serena crossed her arms and looked off to the side. "And not just to infuriate Calem. If it's for Dawn… I'll do anything right now. The past while has been messy with me, so maybe clearing up loose ends will make it better." _And maybe Dawn can forgive me…_

Not an unfamiliar situation, Calem found himself the only person siding with himself. "Tch, do as you will. Just don't involve me. And stop coming over and using my treehouse." He got up and almost pushed Ash and Riley off the bench to get out, leaving only money for his coffee behind.

"We're not gonna stop going there," Serena called out as Calem walked out the door. "Meet on Saturday?" she said normally to those at the table, to which they nodded. "Keep next Saturday free!" she shouted and snickered at.

"You are truly all fools," Calem said while shaking his head and shoving his hands into his pockets. _The past is meant to stay in the past. Remembering just makes it all worse. Just holds us back. Why can't you all see that? If this ends up backfiring and you all end up in more pain than five years ago, don't blame me._

Moon left next, taking Calem's cup and money and disappearing into a back room after bidding farewell and thanks for the night, promising Serena to meet up on Sunday. Serena left running back home, realizing that she had to take the long way back to both arrive as soon as she could and avoid seeing her neighbor again. Ash left by clasping Riley on the shoulder and saying something about writing good notes for the older male to study; at least he was understanding of Riley's reluctance to go to school.

That left two behind, who were mentally exhausted with what they put up with that day. "You did it, Riley. Plus, we all get to hang out together again!"

Riley only made his way to the exit and kept walking, his house having never been so enticing before. Not only had he went to school that day, but he ditched it, stressed about a myriad of things, and talked enough to fill a dozen and then some sheets of paper when typed out, which clashed greatly with his usual routine of staying inside and playing games. But, he couldn't help the smile coming on. _So we will all meet again. And I'm actually feeling sorta excited about it. Who knew?_

"This'll be so much fun, and so much easier with everyone!" Dawn hung on Riley's arm tightly. "My wish… I wonder what it is." It wasn't like the two had even attempted more than once to solve that issue. That very important issue.

Having had their fill for the day, Shadow of Losers went home and slept till the morning came and reminded them that time was still passing.

 **~X~**

Tuesday, lunch time for coincidentally Serena and Calem at High Horizon Academy, Calem regretted forgetting his ear buds at home. As a result, the pesky cashier from the corner store near his house, along with his two friends came over to his empty table and kept talking at him about a topic he found disgusting.

Calem tried his best to focus on reading from his little notebook. _If I don't react to them, why do they bother sticking around? Are they that self-absorbed? How god-like do they think they are to believe that I actually enjoy just being in their presence? This isn't even the first time this has happened._

The cashier-student, who Calem vaguely recalled being named Edward due to how many times teachers called him out for sleeping in class, looked across the cafeteria and whistled. His two friends snickered. "Look at her over there. I'm impressed she hasn't asked me out before, like every other hot girl in this school," Edward bragged, lied.

Calem paid him no mind as he unfolded the piece of paper he and Riley worked on together weeks earlier regarding the chain rule. The topic finally peaked its head in class.

"Hey, Carl." Edward rolled his head to see Calem, who didn't respond. That Edward didn't even know his name didn't help. "Carl."

Not in the mood to hear his obnoxious voice, Calem said, "Bother someone else."

One of Edward's lackeys flicked Calem's notebook. "If you give us the homework, we'll leave you alone."

"I refuse." Calem didn't even need to think for a second about it. _For one thing, I worked my ass off doing it while you were probably wasting away brain cells. Nothing will always go your way, you imbeciles. For another thing, that is cheating, which I refuse to be a part of. Leave._

The other friend was about to say something, but Edward stopped him. Smirking, Edward pointed across the room to the girl he was ogling at. "Fine, then, Carl, we'll leave you alone. _If_ you go get that chick's number for me."

Calem took one second to look up from his notes incredulously before shaking his head. _You disgusting troglodytes…_

"Or, we can soak your shit, nerd," the guy who had yet to speak said, holding a water bottle over Calem's bag.

Calem groaned and rolled his eyes before tucking his book away and reluctantly looking at who Edward was pointing at. He regretted it immediately as he soon recognized the person just by her hair and bag alone: Serena. Again, not the first time he was asked the exact same thing. "I ref-"

"Come on, Carl." Edward got up to put Calem in a rough headlock. "You have like every class with her, and you've been her partner in a lot of them. You can't say you don't know her. Just go up to her, and ask for her number for me. But don't say it's for me, got it?" He leaned in closer, to which Calem responded by holding his breath. Edward whispered, "Plus, you seem really close with her. What's up with that?"

Calem untangled himself from the larger guy and stood up, packing his bag. One of the other two guys reached a hand into Calem's hoodie pocket (the jacket that he had lent to Serena on the day they bumped into Riley, to which she had washed and returned promptly to his pleasant surprise). He pulled out Calem's phone and held it a distance away from its rightful owner. "Heh, maybe he already has her number."

"Let's see," the other guy said, grabbing the phone.

With little to no other choice, Calem took his phone back and straightened himself up. "I'll get the dumb number." He wasn't going to let them know he actually had Serena's contact in his phone. Taking all his things with him, he walked off in the direction of her table, getting lost from view in the crowd lining up for lunch along the way.

As he left, Calem was pretty sure Edward said, "I'm gonna have her tonight!" He shivered from disgust, not even trying to imagine what he could mean.

 **~X~**

On Serena side of the world, at the same time Calem was being cornered, she wasn't experiencing anything better. Emily, Nancy, and Jessica crowded around her as she tried enjoying the lunch she woke up early to make for herself that day, which she didn't do often. Instead of her food, the three's overbearing perfume filled her nose. Not to mention, her ears were being assaulted as well.

Emily tapped her phone on the table. "Come on, Sissy, you have like every class with that nerd." She pointed at Calem across the mess hall.

"What do you want me to do?" Serena poked at her sandwich in its plastic baggie, no longer hungry. _Jesus Christ, I thought I could get through high school with no one ever confronting me about him._

"Get the test answers from him," Nancy said.

Serena's breath hitched as she struggled downing her words. "What test answers?"

Jessica smacked her lips and sighed. "Are you serious? You really think that loser is that smart?" She rolled her eyes. "His parents send funds to school, I've heard. It's obvious teachers give him test answers. That's the only way he can possibly have such high grades in every class he has."

Resisting the urge to laugh in their faces proved difficult. Serena couldn't believe what they were assuming. _Really? He gets answers slipped to him ahead of time, you claim, and your proof for it is he has a high average? What about me? I actually have a better average than him! Proves how much you know about me… How about he, I don't know, studies unlike you all? What a reputation he has… I actually feel bad for him_. _How cliche_. She looked back to see Calem in a headlock.

"It's easy. Just ask him. I mean, look at him; he obviously never had a pretty girl talk to him because they wanted to. Just pretend to flirt with him—" Emily faked gagging "—and ask for the answers. He'll totally give it to you." Emily had no hint of shame as she said it.

Serena felt her stomach churning. _Yeah, you definitely don't know him. If I did, he'll ignore me. If you did, he'll tell you off, I'm sure._

Jessica elbowed Serena in the ribs harshly. "Aren't you our friend?" She gasped dramatically. "If you really are, you'll do this for us."

"Yeah, or else we won't invite you to go with us anywhere anymore," Nancy said.

Serena wished she skipped school (even though she had perfect attendance all her life). _Both outcomes are just as shitty. Ask and ridicule myself with Calem? No way. Lose these three and end up alone in high school? I can't. There's no way I can give this up, no matter how shitty they are. I need someone, anyone to help me get through school… Otherwise, I might end up like Riley. I need human contact._

"Well?" all three asked in unison.

Deciding, practically flipping a coin in her head, Serena stood up and nodded. She packed and took her things, then said, "I'll ask. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have an answer sheet, though…"

Once she left, Serena was lost from plain view as a wave of students walked in the direction she came from. In the fray, by sheer chance, she and Calem were walking in adjacent lanes towards each other. They made eye contact and didn't stop walking.

When they were a couple feet away from each other, neither halted or spoke up. They passed each other by without so much as a nod or shoulder brush and went on their merry ways.

Calem shook his head and decided to go up to the library. _I will not associate with her, especially in school. Whatever Edward wants from her, he'll have to do it himself. I don't care about him, and I don't care about Serena. I have my own interests to pursue, any of which is not Serena Lanier. Leave me out of your inferior world._

Serena counted the tiles she crossed as she tightened her grip on her purse. _I won't talk to him unless I have to. I don't need him in my life. Neighbor, classmate, old friend or not, he can die for for all I care._

 **~X~**

After school, Serena found herself and her three "friends" at the mall, walking around while carrying their shopping bags and not her own. _I hate this. Why didn't I make up some excuse? This is the one day I don't have anything to do after school, and I spend it being their pack mule? What did they even buy, it's so heavy!_

"I'm bored," Jessica said while checking her nails.

Emily pointed at a space they just passed by and gasped. "Let's go in there. I see Edward and his friends," she sang.

The three giddily made their way into the store, dragging Serena with them. It took for her to enter the zone to realize where she was taken: an arcade. _The fuck? You all wouldn't be caught dead in an arcade. For some boys? That dumbass Edward guy isn't even that good looking._

"Let's play this one." Emily pulled out her wallet and extracted several quarters. She tapped the machine, which was a bootleg Dance Dance Revolution system. It seemed to be the one game they could possibly have known how to play.

"Oy, vey," Serena whispered.

"Sissy, you and me." Emily took off her sweater and let down her hair while staring across the room at Edward. "Now."

Serena stared at the machine and thought, _No this can't be the same one. Besides that, I don't want to play._ She looked at the glowing screen, which had flickered to the leaderboard having been idle for a time. First place by a mile belonged to "MOO".

Serena widened her eyes and gasped. _It is the same machine. Why? That makes me want to play it even less..._

 **~X~**

The day just before seventh grade started, the six of them were playing in the same arcade Serena was presently in after Ms. Collins drove them to the mall to do shopping. They had played all the games available except one: the dance one. Calem and Riley immediately noped out of playing it, leaving the other four, with less insecurity than them, more fun.

The final round of the small competition they made out if it was Moon versus Dawn. Neither side faltered in the least bit at the challenge. The music started and so did they.

Having been on a losing streak the whole time they were at the arcade, Moon was determined to win this game. It was the one that she could, given that she was the dancer of the group. With everything she had, she abandoned all restraint. Forgetting that there were other people around, the only thing that mattered to her was winning. Her eyes were glued to the colorful arrows flowing up the game screen as her feet seemed to fly, blurry from moving so fast. Her arms flailed about and sweat fell down.

Her face was flushed, but not from embarrassment for once. Rather than quitting out from feeling shame at her unsightliness, Moon let everything go and put her all into her game. Everyone knew that, and cheered Moon on as she stomped and posed and breathed to the rhythm of the music. Even Dawn, who did her best to cheer while doing all she could for her game.

Once the game was over, everyone looked on to see the winner. "Player 2 Wins!" flashed brightly on both screens. Moon jumped up and down as Serena and Dawn hugged her tightly while shouting at the top of their lungs celebrating Moon's victory. No one bothered about the odd stares from other arcade-goers. They were kids, so who could blame them?

It turned out that in addition to winning, Moon had earned herself the all-time high score for the game. Heart racing and pride spilling out of her, Moon instinctively inputted her first name into the machine, and hastily pushed enter. When she took a step back, she realized the mistake she made.

The leader board flashed, with first place belonging to "MOO". Moon, in her excitement, forgot that she had to put her initials for the high score slot. "Oh… I messed up. Now everyone will think the winner is a cow…" She had never sounded so disappointed. At least it was something more savory than the several "ASS"s in the top ten.

Moon shut her eyes tightly, trying not to cry. Dawn hugged Moon and said, "Don't worry. We know you won. We know you're awesome, Moon."

Sniveling only twice, Moon parted and smiled. "I guess… I mean, I wish I didn't rush it, but I did win."

"Well, either way, it was fun," Serena said.

Moon giggled and laughed her embarrassment off for once. "'MOO'... Ha! You're right. I don't regret it at all!" She looked back at the screen before they all heard Ms. Collins calling out for them to regroup.

As they walked out to Ms. Collins' car, Moon giggled one last time. "Whatever… It probably won't be there for long, anyway."

 **~X~**

Contrary to what Moon had said in the past, her record still stood. "MOO" was in the top slot, many thousand points above the other scores. Serena hid her smile. _Moon, you're still the winner. I actually hope you stay there forever. That's one thing that shall remain._

"Sissy!"

Serena snapped out of her reminiscing and realized what was happening. "Oh, I'm gonna sit this one out. My stomach hurts." It wasn't a lie. The three made her skip lunch, so she experienced hunger pains.

"Ugh, fine." Emily stood on one dance mat as Jessica took the other.

Slowly backing away from the girls, Serena stopped once her back collided with metal. The sound of a lever moving made her turn around to see that she was leaning against a crane machine. She took a moment to scan the cutesy toys lined up in the box, then turned around, only to look back at the prizes while pressing her face to the glass.

Smushed against the back-left corner of the system was a plushie of a brown dinosaur with orange horns, a grey underbelly, narrowed eyes, and stubby arms. A tag with its 2D rendition and an official _Pokémon_ logo confirmed her beliefs: it was a Tyrunt plushie.

Unknown to everyone, Serena actually kept up to date with _Pokémon._ She ordered the newest games online and played only at home to keep it a tight secret. She just couldn't let it go, especially when _Y_ managed to captivate her so. It wasn't the longest one she had played, but something about the Kalos region resonated with her.

The fossil that she had chosen in the game belonged to Tyrunt. She thought nothing of him initially, especially when she didn't see it as that cute, but he managed to prove to be a clutch Pokemon, carrying her through a lot of the late game to her surprise. Indifference flipped to respect, which blossomed into adoration for the dinosaur. So, she was damn sure she was going to bring that Tyrunt plushie home with her.

 _I want it, I want it,_ she kept repeating in her head. Her pockets and wallet had a good amount of loose change in it, all of which Serena was willing to sacrifice for the toy. She fed the machine and prepared herself to work the crane.

Eleven huge misses later, Serena went off to the machine that would convert cash into quarters. She walked back with a hundred quarters. And unknown to her, a boy her age was watching her from afar the whole time.

A good amount of time later, Serena actually sank to her knees with her hand still shaking the joystick. The prize slot was empty. After so much time and money, she never managed to fish out even one toy, much less Tyrunt. The closest she got was having the claw right over her goal, only to accidently hit the grip button too early. Needless to say, her anger was at an all time high.

Desperate to win and unable to accept loss after all she put in for the plushie, Serena emptied her wallet to find only her school ID card in it. She scrambled for her pockets and bag, and still no money. She was broke, and still wanted the plushie.

The person who had been watching Serena the whole time made his move. He walked behind her and whispered in her ear, "Need help?"

Serena shot up and dusted her skirt off. She looked at the stranger and met eyes with Edward. Yards away, her three schoolmates were still playing the dance game, hoping to catch his attention. Edward leaned closer to Serena, who pressed herself against the machine in response. He put both hands on either side of her on the machine, wearing the sleaziest, most smug and fake smile Serena had ever seen. She leaned harder against the machine, severely uncomfortable with him touching her and breathing on her.

 _Someone, please help me!_

* * *

For the review:

Mythgirl: I also felt really bad for Moon, but it got better here. But, hopefully Luna didn't come off as too unlikable since I wasn't out to give her a bad name, just a slightly oblivious and normal one. As for Mrs. Smith? She may or may not make a return, but she got her fill of embarrassment on stage, that's for sure! But, don't worry; things will look up for everyone... eventually if not now.

Thank you for reading, and until next time!


	12. Turning Point

Serena desperately wanted to scream out, kick the stranger in front of her where the sun didn't shine, and run away. However, her outdoors persona dictated otherwise. Instead of acting on her initial impulse, she calmed herself and managed a polite smile. "It's fine. I was gonna go-"

The guy in front of her let out a deep chuckle and pushed her aside. He smoothly put a quarter in the machine and put his hand on the controls. "Which one do you want?"

The lights on the crane game lit up, and Serena could only wish her brain could do the same. _Who the hell is this guy, anyway? He goes to my school since Emily keeps talking about him, and he's wearing the uniform, but I've only had one class with him. And, he's really scaring me. What does he want?_ Her legs and mouth froze.

Her arm rose and her index finger extended to point at Tyrunt. Her train of thought included having him win her the plushie, then promptly running away. He made a popping sound with his mouth, then slung one arm around Serena's shoulders. She wanted to duck from it, but couldn't bring herself to shy away from the cologne-reaking guy in fear of losing face. "That ugly thing?"

Countless plausible lies and excuses ran through Serena head. She settled on lying, "Yeah, my little brother likes shit like that. His birthday's this month." _I'm so sorry, Tyrunt! You deserve better._

"Oh yeah? Why don't you invite me to go to his party as thanks?" On cue, Edward bent down and plucked the prize from the slot. He presented Tyrunt to her with a punchable face, his arm never leaving her shoulders. Serena was overwhelmed with shock from it. He had won the thing in twenty-five cents that she couldn't with over two-thousand.

"Thanks." She swiftly swiped it and forcibly made room for it in her purse. After safely placing it and closing her bag up tight, Serena offered another smile. "I should go…"

She removed his arm from her by the sleeve of his jacket, but he stopped her with his free hand. He then whispered in her ear, "Why don't you thank me properly? It's still early. Let's have some fun."

"Benefit of the doubt" did not exist in Serena's dictionary. She tried taking his words at face value, assuming him to just be a saint cursed with a douchey presence, but couldn't. It was too much for her to wave off. _He is such a creep. And he's still touching me. I can't even scream since he's not actually doing anything. Fuck off, man. Why me? Why not someone who actually wants this? The odds are too big that he's a hormone-driven, disgusting teenager. Why didn't I just go home?_

For once in her life, Serena's high school friends saved her. The three girls sauntered over to the two and crowded Edward when he stepped back and finally gave Serena space. Serena slipped away and stood by the arcade's exit, a hand on her chest and struggling to breathe.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edward shoot her a plotting look.

 **~X~**

The next thing she knew, Serena was sitting at the mall's food court, sipping from a cup of soda as her friends held lively conversation with the guy that made her feel physically ill. They talked about some song that she couldn't care less about as she stared off into the distance at a flickering ceiling lamp. A weight seemed to be on her hip. With a sigh, Serena discreetly slid her hand into her bag and stroked the plushie in it. _At least there's one thing that came out of this. But, it was through dirty means._

Jessica snapped Serena out of her daze first. "Oh, my God, look over there, Sissy." She leaned over the table to get a better view. With a finger coated in grease, she pointed across the room and said, "It's the cheating nerd."

It was then that Serena realized that the weight on her hip was Edward's hand, which he slung around her when she first got her drink and zoned out. _Ew, ew, no, please no. Why do I let myself be pushed around so easily? I should have just left._

She couldn't bring herself to remove his arm from her person, not wanting to cause a scene. Instead, Serena looked on with the rest of the table to where Jessica was pointing and sneering at. There, on the opposite side of the food court, occupying a table as one, reading a three-inch thick book and looking either bored or confused as Hell was Calem.

Serena's four companions howled with laughter after an insulting comment was thrown into the air. Edward said, "Yeah, Carl? He definitely cheats. He's too much of a goody-two shoes not to be secretly doing something. Y'know, you should see him when he takes tests. He sweats like a bitch."

Serena stayed silent, unable to bring herself to fake a laugh. She was too miserable and bored to. _Do people really talk behind others' backs so? Calem doesn't cheat. That much I know for sure. That's why he sweats so much._

Calem couldn't not hear the laughter. Anyone in a fifty-foot radius could have heard the teenagers causing a ruckus like they were. He rolled his eyes, muttered under his breath, and went back to reading. That was not before he and Serena accidentally made eye contact. Both immediately looked away and pretended not to have seen the other.

A time later, Edward finished his meal (which had been paid by Serena, along with all of her friends'), he pulled at her hip and yawned. "This has been nice and all, but I gotta be going." He stood up and moved to pull Serena up by the arm. "Me and her."

Serena reluctantly stood up due to the sheer force he used yanking her. A crack came from her wrist. _Dear God, what is happening?_ Her three friends giggled to themselves as Serena was being pulled away against her will by a stronger guy that gave her severe red flags. "Whoa, wait a minute. I'm sorry, but I have to-"

"What?" Edward drowned whatever excuse she was going to give out.

"No, please let me go. I…" Serena pulled her arm back to her person and hugged herself. _I don't want to go anywhere with this creep, let alone alone. I want to scream and run now, goddamnit._

"Sissy, ooooooh!" Jessica made a kissy-face at Serena and winked. "Alone with Edward? Lucky, lucky."

"We're not going anywh-"

"I'll forgive you if you tell us how it goes." Nancy obnoxiously flipped her hair.

"Bye-bye!" Emily sang and waved. None of them cared enough to hear Serena out.

Serena stepped back and used her arms to give herself a safe space. "No, listen. I have to go home and-"

"We're done here. Let's go." Edward took Serena under his arm, his cologne invading her senses. "Right?"

With her friends clearly not paying attention to her and instead cheering her doing the exact opposite thing she wanted on, Serena felt cornered. Every try she made to leave alone, everyone talked over. Edward was clearly not going to leave her alone. _Maybe I'm overreacting again. Maybe I should give him a chance. I mean, look at Riley; he's kinda ghostly at first glance, but he's a super nice guy. But..._

While fighting her better judgement on the inside, Serena absentmindedly looked over to Calem. He stared at the five other young adults with narrowed eyes. Shutting his book loudly, he packed his things and stood up. Serena looked back at Edward and swallowed her anxiety. The peer pressure and uncertainty nearly pushed her to a breakdown, but she had few choices. Either save face or make the rest of the school year a living Hell, both by the hands of the three girls in front of her. With a shaky voice, she said, "Sure. Just nowhere weird or dangerous, ha…"

"How about I just walk you home, then, if you can't trust me." Edward dropped his arm and stepped away.

Serena relaxed at this. _Okay, I can deal with this. Just don't let him follow me all the way there. Only to the train station and no further. I don't even know where we are._ She really regretted not paying attention to the trains they rode there and the streets they crossed. With that, she nodded, gave a weak smile, and let herself be dragged off by Edward. At the mall exit, the couple and Calem managed to step outside at the same time, only a few feet apart.

Calem received no attention, as he would have liked it. But, he couldn't not see Serena removing Edward's arm from her shoulder and stepping away from him, hiding a gag with her two went in the opposite direction of the train station. Calem paid them no mind, but the voice in the back of his mind pulled him away. By the time he turned around, the couple was gone. He sighed and shook his head.

 **~X~**

"Uh, where are we right now?" Serena zipped her jacket up higher as Edward motioned with his arm to a shady-looking apartment building with not a person in sight.

"Don't worry. Welcome to my place. No one's home, and no one asks questions." Edward flexed and stared brazenly at Serena, not hiding the act of licking his lips.

"Th-this isn't the train station, ha…" Serena stepped back, knowing how badly she messed up by believing in a person who made her stomach turn in the worst way. "Why are we at your apartment building?"

"Why else? To have fun." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to the complex. "You know, playing hard to get isn't gonna work anymore. We made it this far." Never had Serena ever hated that last sentence until that moment. Edward leaned even closer and whispered, "Right? I know you'll say, 'Yes.' You're such a gullible pushover. Lucky you're cute. And dumb."

Serena's chest tightened, as if he had a deathgrip on her heart that matched the one he had on her wrist. The words hit her like a barrage of cannonballs. His last sentences were mostly true. _Except that I'm cute… Damn it. I can't even shake loose of him. I'm really gonna have to go with him… And I'm pretty sure we're not gonna be doing homework in there._

Each time she twitched her arm back, Edward tightened his grip. The entire bottom half of her body froze, leaving kicking not an option. Her lips only quivered, words failing to come to mind. _This is it. This is the end. I should have just turned into Riley instead of becoming such a shameful, pathetic mess like I am now._

"S-stop." Sound finally came out. As did tears. How she never expected to ever be in such a horrible situation. "Please, just let me go, and I won't say anything."

"It's too late for that, Sissy. I'm getting something out of this." He gave her a final tug, to which she stumbled and fell onto him. He harshly gripped her shoulder and started walking towards the building.

"No." Serena kept repeating it and froze in place. _I hate this. I hate me. But don't I at least deserve some better end than this?_ Managing one act of courage that day, she screamed, "Help!"

 **~X~**

Calem had no idea what he was looking at. He had walked one block towards the train station when he last saw Serena, then turned around and went in the other direction without even knowing himself. He wandered around aimlessly until his generally peaceful stroll was ruined by an ear-piercing cry.

He peeked his head around a building corner and slowly looked only to see Serena literally shaking in her high-heel boots while Edward tried helping himself to her. A man of inaction, Calem's instinctive response was to turn around and walk away. But then, why was he even there in the first place?

 _Of all things to be caught in the middle of, why something like this? Why can't she say no? Why am I here? Why is she here? Why can't I have one peaceful day? Who even knows? And why can't I walk away?_ Calem balled his fists and clenched his jaw so tightly, he felt it would fall off. _This is out of 're welcome. I'm not a hero._ Calem sighed. "Goddamnit. She's lucky this is a crime." Of course it took contemplation to decide on his course of action.

Once he looked back to see what his poor neighbor was up to, Calem hated that he felt a pain in his chest at the sight of Serena on the sidewalk, having tripped over her own feet just a minute ago. She looked so pathetic and pitiable.

He came out of hiding and slowly waltzed out, looking both ways as he crossed the street. Life went in slow motion as Calem saw Edward kneel down and offer a hand. His feet didn't even cross the midpoint of the crosswalk before he casually called out, "Serena."

Both teens looked to Calem, Serena with tears spilling out. For once in her life, she felt relief at the sight of him. She did her best to persuade herself that it was because he was offering a distraction, intentional or not. _Tell me this isn't an illusion._

Edward let go of Serena and smirked at Calem. "Hey, Carl. The fuck are you here?"

"I could be asking you the same thing." Calem made it to the other side and stood opposite Edward, sizing him up despite being shorter. He stepped in between the two and motioned with his hand behind his back, right in Serena's face, to go away.

"I live here." Edward tried sidestepping Calem to get back to Serena, but the other male wouldn't allow it. "I'm on a date with Sissy right now, so… Jealous?"

"Oh, are you now?" Calem extended a hand down to Serena like a gentleman, to which she gingerly took ahold of and used to get back on her feet. "That's funny, because we actually had plans for now."

 _Say what now? What is he doing? What's with the lies? Fuck it. Just get me out of here, please_. Serena rubbed at her face, knowing that mascara streaks marred it. Not even caring about anything anymore, she latched onto Calem's hand and refused to let go. Holding in her sobs, she mustered saying, "Where were we going again?"

"We were just talking about it." Calem pivoted and motioned with his free hand at the street corner.

"'We'? No, whatever. Why don't you just leave us alone, Carl? We're in the middle of something." Serena couldn't even snicker at the lame mistaken name he had for Calem. Like a gorilla, Edward grabbed Serena so tightly, she winced audibly. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"She doesn't look like she's having fun. And, we have plans. You must be mistaken." Calem motioned to call someone over with his hand again. "Riley, Ash, over here!"

Flinching at the sudden noise and out-of-the-blue call, Serena desperately looked over to where Calem was nodding at. "They're here?" She shook her whole body trying to get a view until she realized Calem was lying. She added, "Already?" Acting was not her forte.

"What? There's more of you?" The distance between Edward and his house became closer as he started backing up. _Jesus, since when the hell was she popular? Too many people is a problem._

"Yes. We were waiting for Ash to get off of football practice, but he skipped to come with us. Then, Moon insisted we went to the mall near here to check out karate lessons for her unusual gorilla strength, to which I waited so patiently alone. Of course, Riley ended up-"

"I've heard enough. Get the fuck away from my house." Edward pushed Serena into Calem and ran into his building. "You're not even worth it, Sissy. Why should I waste my time on you losers? Losers like you should be a couple. The ugliest kid and the dumbest kid at school. Works perfectly. Fucking perfect!"

"-dragging his feet while keeping his head down, so we had to waste time looking for him. Thank you very much, Edward," Calem said quickly, waving at the other boy's disappearing back for added effect. At the sound of a door clicking, he tried shaking Serena's hand from his, but found them well bound together. "You can let go now."

"He's gone?"

"Gone."

"Oh." Serena found it nearly impossible for herself to stop shaking and holding onto Calem. A hero was he, and she was lost in more ways than one. At least he didn't start walking away as soon as Edward disappeared. She would have rathered him be Moon or Ash, but she wasn't exactly in a position to complain. "Th-thank you." She gripped his hand harder.

"You can let go now." If he recalled correctly, the next train to leave was in ten minutes while they were currently fifteen minutes away at best. It was useless trying to shake Serena off, he knew, and he couldn't blame her given her circumstance. Rather than saying anything else or abandoning her, Calem pulled her along as they sped-walked to the train station. "Cry and freeze if you want, but if we miss this next train, you'll owe me. Just don't use me as a handkerchief, which I know you have many of in your bag."

And off they went together, Calem with a neutral expression and Serena wiping at her eyes while silently thanking him several times over.

 **~X~**

The train was empty, save for several sleeping people most likely having gotten off work after the rush of students going home. Calem and Serena sat next to each other, the former reluctantly letting himself be a cushion for the latter. Serena had stopped crying a time ago, and resorted to mindlessly staring outside the window in an attempt to forget about what went down.

"You're rather calm," Calem said, eyes not leaving the book he pulled out to read.

He heard her breath in and out several times before answering. At least her answer was in the same vein as one he expected her to give. "Say nothing of this to anyone. I don't care about my image anymore, I don't care about anyone anymore. Let's forget this ever happened and just say I owe you one."

"Pretty sure you can nail him for assault and sexual harassment," he said as if it was nothing.

"No, no, it's not worth the trouble. Pretty sure a guy like him'll either die or end up in jail within the next five years."

"Five? Generous, aren't you?"

"What say you?"

"One."

"Pfft, yeah, uh-huh." For the first time that day, Serena genuinely laughed. Calem's no-nonsense, take-it-or-leave-it attitude was welcomed for once. Being with him was better than anyone else in her school, she would admit. She would give him that. After settling down, she murmured, "Thanks."

"What? Couldn't catch that." His book had yet to be lowered the whole ride.

"You heard me, and tough luck if you actually didn't." Serena started braiding her hair to stop herself from trying to read Calem's poker face. Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn he wore a smile for one iota of a second.

Three stops later, Calem finished reading his book and began staring outside the opposite window alongside Serena. Grabbing a folded paper from his pocket, he dropped it into her hand and let it be. "Am I seriously the only one who went?"

Serena opened the note and figured it to be a pending itinerary for the Astronomy Club's upcoming planetarium visit. "That's why you were alone?"

Checking the time on his watch, Calem decided to continue the conversation for both their sakes. He cleared his throat, then mumbled, "No, no one met up for club today, so I decided to go out."

"To a crowded mall? Alone? Wow, you've got hubris and nothing better to do with your life." She chuckled again. It died down once Calem flared his nostrils.

"Pretty sure I had a better time compared to you." Then it was her turn to flare her nostrils.

Two silent stops later, Serena piped up again. Realizing how not horrible it was being in such close proximity to Calem gave her chills. "I guess Riley was right, huh?"

"What?"

Serena looked down at her scraped knees. "Last Friday, at Moon's workplace? I'll admit, I only agreed that we did get along because the others said it. But, looking at us right now, maybe there was more truth to it than I thought."

"Oh?"

"I mean, you could have just left me and not talked to me, but you did. Guess the past actually does define the man. We are still…" She hesitated, knowing how hard it was to admit it regarding the two of them. "I do think that we all still can stand each other, and that we still are friends. Or are at least capable of emulating the past, genuinely and even without Dawn."

"Really, now?"

"Yes, really. And you can't deny it, either. Or else, why are you even still here? Pity? Lack of any other options? I know that the one thing that you hate more than wasting time is having an idiot talk at you about a thought you wouldn't even think once of entertaining."

Another stop passed by of dead air. Finally, he whispered, "You're not an idiot." Knowing the door he held open with that, he quickly and smoothly added, "Necessarily."

She lightly punched him and let it fly, having not even heard his first statement. "But, here we are. You've yet to get off and wait for the next train, or move to the next car, so…"

"Your point is?"

"My point is that you can't erase the past—" she gulped "—nor can you ignore it, and there's a point where you can't keep denying it."

"So?"

"So…" There was only one thing left to say. "This Saturday, just try to get along with us. You know the place. And if you aren't there, I'll drag you out myself."

The train started slowing down as it came to it's last stop. Calem sighed and stood up. As he faced the door with Serena still staring at her knees, he said over his shoulder, "I'm not escorting you to Ash's football game on Friday, though."

Serena bit the insides of her cheeks to prevent a smile from coming on. "Didn't ask."

Calem stepped out after the doors slid open and stopped for a second. "I'll leave you behind if you can't catch up to me."

 **~X~**

The next day, High Horizon Academy went along as it always did. It was as if the previous day hadn't happened, and Serena couldn't be more thankful. She had arrived at school sulking and mopey, to which her friends responded by ostracizing her. Edward didn't step anywhere near her so far. The events of yesterday haunted her, sparking her true, introverted personality to bear its head. No one even bothered asking her if she was okay.

Lunch rolled around, and seemed to go exactly as the one the day prior. Serena's friends pressured her to beg Calem for the cheat sheet he didn't have with a test nearing, and Edward gave Calem a hard time over nothing. In contrast, one of Edward's lackeys pestered for Serena phone number.

The two stood up to pretend to comply like yesterday. They crossed the cafeteria, got lost in the crowd, and managed to find themselves approaching the other. But, instead of brushing past each other, they both stopped for a fraction of a minute.

Serena mumbled, "They wanted me to ask for an answer sheet that doesn't exist."

He followed. "Another creep wants your phone number."

Each had informed the other of the happenings yesterday. Without another word, each continued walking as though the exchange didn't happen.

Next period was gym, which Serena and Calem shared also. After attendance was taken, students were sent on their merry way for free play. Although the rarely set up badminton net was out in the open, beckoning Serena, the game was doubles, and she had no partner. Instead, she leaned against a corner of the gym alone, brooding as everyone else around her enjoyed themselves with friends. On the bleachers, she saw Calem reading again.

Half the period elapsed before Serena realized that she really wanted to play badminton. So, despite it being two-on-two matches, she lined up without a partner. _Someone will step up. I don't fucking care if I mess up the order_.

Surrounded by happily chatting pairs, Serena stared at her watch and prayed for the day to be over. Finally, her turn came up. An obnoxious couple stood on the other side of the next shouting nonsense and having a high-five-off. She picked up the racquet and stood idly as no one moved to be her partner for just one game.

"Where's your partner?" one opponent called out.

Serena remained silent, only sighing and spinning her racquet. Much to her surprise, no one pitied her enough, or was willing to part with their partner for a short while just to play. _What the fuck? Well, I don't care. I'm not moving. I want to fucking play, and I feel like being a brat right now. Suck it, everybody._

Not even the teacher stepped in to be her temporary partner. Instead, he crossed the court to approach her. "If you don't have a partner, go find one and let the others play," he told her.

"What if I want to play, and no one wants to be my partner?" Serena felt daring. She couldn't care less about school that day.

The other students waiting on line for their turn to play started grumbling. They wanted to play too. But, it wasn't fair that no one wanted to play badly enough to step up and be her partner. Out of principle, Serena refused to step off the court. _Just let me have this, goddamnit._

Before the teacher moved to drag her off the court, the sound of the other racquet being picked up from the floor took their attention. Four feet away stood Calem with one hand on his hip. Their teacher backed up while shrugging and left the game to be played out. Serena shot Calem a sideways glance before tossing the birdie up and serving.

No more than two minutes later, Serena and Calem walked off the court having lost the match due to the latter's reluctance to run and lack of hand-eye coordination. Serena lined back up to play again, not expecting Calem to follow. But, he did.

"You don't have to play again." She crossed her arms and stared off into the distance to avoid the odd looks being shot at her, most likely regarding her act of brattiness. He didn't respond, only pulling his book seemingly out of thin air and cracking it open to his bookmark. "Thanks again… I guess."

 **~X~**

Next period, Serena found herself leaning against the wall outside her next class, contemplating skipping school. Ever since Calem walked her home yesterday, her stomach was in knots. The whole morning on the way to school, she kept peering over her shoulder just in case Edward or someone similar just so happened to be trailing her. Paranoia coupled with pessimism resulted in a cocktail of pain. And it just so happened that that class, she shared with Edward.

It took great effort for her to drag her feet from class to class the whole day. The late bell for seventh period rang as a sea of students scurried in to their respective classrooms. Everyone except Serena.

Exactly ten minutes elapsed when she made her choice. After a back-and-forth with herself in her head, Serena pulled her phone out and opened a new text conversation with someone she knew could help her.

Before she could send her text, her message recipient sent one to her and three others. _Let's meet up today as soon as possible. I have an idea_ , it read.

After sending her response to it, she passed on her own message. _Can you come to my school? I need you to walk me home, please. I know you don't have anything better to do, Riley. And please don't ask. Hurry._

 **~X~**

Twenty minutes later, Serena walked outside and found Riley tapping his foot on the sidewalk. He had a severe bedhead and was wearing wrinkled clothes, as if he just woke up when she texted him and immediately left his house without even changing. Noting the time, it wasn't an impossibility; it was actually most likely what happened. She slowly approached him, then hugged herself and nodded at him. "Thanks. That was fast."

"I took a taxi. It was taxing," he said dryly. "Everything alright? You said hurry."

"Let's just go." She took two steps and waited for him to start as well. "How do we go about this?"

"The taxi was surprisingly expensive, so how about free public transportation?" He waved his student Metrocard and pinched the bridge of his nose. _What happened that made her want to skip school? First time for everything, I guess._

After boarding the bus and train required to go back home, all that was left was a fifteen minute long walk to Serena's house. They walked side-by-side silently as the passing wind kept them alert.

Deciding to give him a reason as to why she made him walk her home, Serena said, "Let's just say yesterday wasn't the best for me. I kinda don't feel safe alone."

"Sure." He didn't say anything else. Nothing else needed to be said. He hadn't gone out since Friday, so the exposure to the outside world wasn't unwelcome. And if Serena thought him to be worthy enough to look over her, all the better. It was better than having Dawn chat his ear off like she had been doing the days before. Instead, she walked at Serena's side and held her hand, even though she knew Serena didn't know it.

Along the way, they had to pass by an elementary school. It appeared to be let-out time for them as countless adolescents filed out the exits of the building and littered the sidewalk. Several kids ran past them, almost running them over playing chase and shouting at the top of their lungs. As much as Serena hated how obnoxious they were, she couldn't help the smile on her face as they passed them by. It wasn't like they hadn't done the same in the past.

Riley slouched and kept his head down, focusing on counting sidewalk squares instead of any odd looks shot at him by strangers. He seemed fine doing that. Serena tried copying him, but found herself shifting at the mere thought of others staring at her. Her eyes never stopped moving.

As she passed them by, she found many mothers staring at her, most likely due to her grungy choice of clothing for the day. They talked amongst themselves and kept looking in Serena's general vicinity. She couldn't help but feel that they were talking about her. Even if they weren't, that she didn't know what they were actually saying and kept looking in her direction bothered her. She twisted her hands and kept walking.

 _Look at her_ , _She's quite ugly_ , _How can she stand walking around looking like that?_ , _Shameless_ , and things of the like were what Serena imagined them to be whispering to each other regarding her. Insecurity overflowed from her. The children running by didn't help.

Some looked up at her with eyes of wonder, making her shake even more. Many only made it up to her hip in height, making her feel so far away. The innocence and beauty of youth felt lost on Serena. Ever since she hit her growth spurt at the nice age of ten, she was taller than nearly every other person her age. It was something she couldn't change, but she hated it. Tall people naturally drew in attention.

"Y'know, a lot of the time, I feel like a giant," Serena said as a little boy zoomed past her. Riley glanced at her and decided to let her go on. "So tall, so big, so feared."

Over the stretch of five feet, Serena caught four children staring at her. They had to tilt their heads back all the way to see her, and stared at her with such wide eyes. She put her hands over her cheeks and looked down. Riley raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I hate it." Serena had yet to remove her hands. "Because of it, every day, people always stare at me. And when it happens, I just wanna disappear. I can't hear what they think of me, or whisper behind my back of me, or if they even think of me at all, but I can't help but imagine the worst. Maybe that's me being selfish, or maybe I'm right. I just despise it so. And with the image I've painted of myself? Please."

When they made it to the crosswalk, Riley spoke up; it took two long minutes. "Can't say that doesn't go for me."

"Comforting," she deadpanned.

"Then embrace it," Dawn said, stretching her arms far above. "You're so tall and pretty. I was always jealous of that."

After Riley echoed what she said stiffly, Serena snorted. "Sure." Ever so quietly, she said, "Jealous? Of me?"

Contrary to what Serena thought, Riley heard her. Never had he seen Serena so insecure and unconfident. Her usual temperament, as he remembered, was quite hot. At least, it was with friends around. Perhaps Riley had been in the dark longer than he thought. "We each have our own odd quirks here and there. You're tallness must be one of yours."

"Thanks for trying, but we both know genetics aren't quirky."

"No one's you, and you're not anybody else?" He had run dry of clever or helpful things to say quite a time ago.

The light changed and other pedestrians crossed. A mob of grade-schoolers ran by shouting, drowning Serena out. "Too bad I have next to no personality. I'm no one. Nothing special."

The kids passed them just in time for Riley to hear her last sentence. "That was the great thing about Dawn: I could rip her off and be better than her at the same time."

A prolonged car horn honking aimed at them prevented Riley or Dawn from come noting on that. Instead, the three continued on to Serena's house as if nothing happened. Words often eluded Riley, and this occasion was nothing different.

When they made it to her front door, Serena stepped into her house and turned around. "Thanks for putting up with me. And sorry." The sound of her pet bird chirping filled the gaps between her words. "The treehouse at like three? Don't worry; I'm pretty sure Calem will be there."

Before Serena closed the door, Riley blurted, "I appreciate you as a person and my friend, Serena."

Inches before shutting, the door stopped in its tracks and shook. Serena gave a weak chuckle. "If you're hitting on me, you might wanna-"

"I'm not. Just wanted to let you know." Riley regretted not thinking carefully of his sentence structure. "Who knows what'll happen tomorrow, right? Might as well see life through to the end."

Serena caught on to what he was trying to do and smiled, trying to imagine what her life would have been like had she stuck with Moon or Riley after middle school. "Tomorrow is another day, huh?"

Serena swung the door open to reveal herself to Riley, wiping her lipstick off with the back of her hand and kicking off her high heels to the side. She offered a thumbs-up and thought, _I'm just gonna step back from everything now. Maybe I've been ruining everything by pretending to be something I'm not for all this time._

 **~X~**

The five managed to gather around the table in Calem's treehouse by four. Moon had been the last to arrive, juggling a bag with a box of new dance shoes, her backpack which had its only strap break, and a sack of Halloween candy that had been on sale. After giving a weak apology, Moon asked, "What happened?"

In response, Riley knocked on the table and cleared his throat. "I think I have a way to get closer to realizing Dawn's dream."

"What is it?" Ash pulled out a sandwich from his bag and started noisily eating it. Calem resisted the urge to kick him out for taking the food out alone.

"I didn't actually come up with it, though. Dawn remembered that she used to keep a diary. Maybe we can get a hint or two from it."

Dead air followed his words along with awkward nods. Calem groaned and moved to fiddle with his telescope. "And how do you know it'll be any help?"

"Well, we kinda don't. It's just a possibility."

"And if it contains the scribblings of an irrational, airheaded, foolish child?"

"Then you can't say we didn't try." Riley really hoped that someone else would speak up.

Calem smacked his lips and pinched his forehead. "How do you know if it even exists? By now, it must be in a landfill turning into dust. Why would anybody hold on to such a thing?"

Riley didn't respond. By his side, Dawn tugged on his sleeve and stood on her toes to whisper into his ear, "It's there." Her eyes blankly gazed straight ahead. "Everything's still there. You can find it."

It took a moment to realize what Dawn meant. Then, he remembered what happened the night she first appeared to him, and how she cried her heart out over how her room was left in pristine condition as it was before her passing. Breathing in, Riley allowed himself to say what sounded impossible to his friends. "We'll find it. Dawn said it's in her room."

Again, no one said anything building upon what he said. That was, until Serena stood up. She was dressed in her home clothes with her hair down, socks even a mismatched pair. "Then what are we waiting for? We've got nothing left to lose."

"Off we go." Moon patted her belongings before following after Serena.

"Wait. How do we even know that we'll be allowed into her home? It's been five years, and we've never been too close with her family." Calem straightened the tie of his school uniform, which he had refused to change out of in order to monitor the happenings on his property.

"No point in talking about it when we can see for ourselves," Ash said as he passed them by and exited.

"Well?" Riley didn't even have to wait to know that Calem was going with them. If it was out of obligation or pity or something else, he didn't know, but Riley relaxed in known that he had Calem going along with him in some way.

When the group crossed the first street, Calem quickened his pace to catch up to Riley. Without wasting any time, he pulled out his small notebook and firmly whispered, "Related rates."

Shaking his head wasn't a good enough answer, so Riley had to say, "I have no idea what that is."

Calem deflated and looked like he was going to turn around and march back home, but instead flipped a few pages and pulled out his phone. "What if I showed you a few examples?"

With Calem's reason for tagging along evident, Riley took the notebook and glanced at Calem's phone screen to see several textbook examples of what he needed help with. Pulling a pen from his pocket, Riley mindlessly nodded his head and started soaking in what he could comprehend upon reading the subject for the first time. "It seems simple enough. First, write down what you're given and formulas you can use…"

 **~X~**

A half hour later, they found themselves standing outside Dawn's apartment. No one had the guts to knock, and instead resorted to playing rochambeau, continuously saying, "One more round."

After finishing one practice problem together, Calem knocked for them, only to step away and write furiously in his notebook.

Everyone gulped and braced themselves. Three clicking noises later, the door opened up and Johanna greeted them. "Yes, can I help you?"

They each pushed the one closest to them from the back as they tried coming up with the most normal sentences they could. After getting one nice smack from Dawn, Riley cleared his throat and said, "Er, Mrs. Zheng, we're…" He really wished he bit his tongue. "We were friends of Dawn."

Johanna stiffened and released her hold on the door. Before it slammed closed, Ash pushed it back in. The older woman took it back and stepped inside, a hand in her up-did hair. "Well, that's a bit of a problem. Dawn isn't here anymore…"

Riley was still the only one who tried talking. "We know. It's just…" He glanced at everyone only to realize he was on his own for the awkward exchange portions of their mission. "Well, we were wondering if you held on to any of her things. We, uh…"

His voice was barely loud enough to hear. Johanna fidgeted in place and frowned, accentuating her wrinkles. Moon reluctantly picked up the slack. "It's just that… I lent her something important, and it seems that I need it only now…"

"Yes, it's for school." Each of Serena's words was said with a different inflection. "A paper about the past versus the future."

Surprisingly, the weak lies were enough to gain them access. It was most likely that she did remember the five. Johanna stepped aside and held the door open for them. After pursing her lips and only nodding her head, she closed the door and retreated to the kitchen, where they heard a lighter going off. She popped her head back out. "Her room is the one on the left, the first one. Please don't make a mess." A long sigh followed.

The group took off their shoes and entered what felt like the forbidden zone. All except Calem treaded extremely carefully and slowly. When they made it to the door, it seemed to open by itself, but was actually done in by Dawn. "Welcome," she said lifelessly.

She had been holding onto Riley's wrist the whole time, so she ended up dragging him in the room with her. He instinctively reached to flick on the lights. Once their sights adjusted, everyone froze and darted their eyes back and forth around the room that had once belonged to the one girl who managed to charm them all. Dawn flopped on her bed and hugged her piplup plushie.

"Let's just get this over with," Calem said as he entered next.

"Unsettled much?" Serena shot him a look of disgust.

"I didn't say I wasn't uneasy about doing this. But, we apparently have permission to enter, and we have decent intentions." Calem's first move was to step up to Dawn's desk, which had several folders with papers popping out of them. He caught on to one paper with red marks on it and a seventy-one messily written on it. One corner of his mouth lifted. "But is lingering here longer than necessary going to help anyone?"

"Whoa." Moon stepped in and broke her silence. She dragged her feet to Dawn's bed and scanned the numerous stuffed animals sitting upon it. "Guess she really did have this many, ha…"

"So where to start looking?" Ash's voice was deep and stiff as he closed the door behind them. _I want to be the first one to find it._

Dawn mumbled something along the lines of "I dunno."

Riley gave the whole room a once-over, noting the dreary atmosphere they brought in, everyone's reluctance to move and much less speak, and how Dawn played with her stuffed animals to force herself to appear fine. "Let's just start somewhere. Dawn, I hope you aren't hiding anything weird."

Rummaging through the closet and cabinet yielded nothing but dust in their faces. Dawn's room was entirely normal, complete with bland walls and a lack of focus in theme. The one standout item it had was a shelf full of games, which Dawn lazily pointed at with her face smothered with her bed. Riley saw it and headed towards the one thing he hadn't checked.

Moon lifted Dawn's pillow with her eyes shut tight. Cracking them open for a second, she shut them again once she found nothing, and proceeded to drop the pillow. She folded her hands and kissed her knuckles, muttering, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry " Louder, she said shakily, "Is it really here?"

"Maybe we gotta try harder," Ash said as he checked under her bed for the fifth time in the past three minutes. "Come on, where are you?"

"I'll stand firm on that it doesn't exist anymore. Who knows? Maybe it already turned to dust seeing how this room has gone to ruin. If you can even call it that." Calem coughed into the bent of his arm as he saw particles drifting in the air in the light of a lamp pointed at the ceiling.

Ignoring the noise, Riley didn't take his eyes off Dawn for a second while he ran a finger across the spines of dozens of game cases set up on the shelf. _She doesn't look happy at all. She doesn't look sad, either. Conflicted? Empty? Bored? Is she okay?_

His thoughts were interrupted when his index finger encountered a bump in its course. Riley looked at the shelf and found nothing too out of the ordinary. Upon closer inspection, he found what the problem was: something that wasn't like the cases it was wedged in between sat there. Reluctantly, he pinched the object and removed it. Riley had been unwilling to touch and disturb anything while they were in the room.

In his hand was a small book with a hard pink plastic cover. He held it up. "Is this it?"

Dawn sat up and rolled her head until she saw what he was holding. She nodded and jumped off her bed and twirled. "Can we go yet?" It was impossible to guess how she really felt about being there.

"Found it," he said more confidently. Everyone else put what they were looking at back in its rightful place and gathered around him.

"Where was it?" Ash asked, dumbfounded.

"On the shelf. Let's just go before we talk about this. I'm pretty sure Mrs. Zheng is supremely uncomfortable right now." Riley tightened his grip on the notebook and turned around. No one protested.

They exited the room, Serena closing the door softly behind her, only to find Dawn's mother sitting at a table with a pitcher of ice water. Johanna turned her head and offered a weak smile. "Do you want something to drink?"

Calem answered first. He slid his shoes back on at the entrance and said, "No, we were just leaving. We found why we needed and won't bother you any further. Thank you for you time." It was clearly scripted.

Riley decided to lift the weight off his chest before leaving. "I'm very sorry that we came at all. I hope we didn't cause too much trouble or harm in coming." He watched as Johanna's face remained unchanging. "Dawn is, er, was important to all of us."

"Yes, I recall seeing a picture she had of the six of you together at a park." She smiled fondly and poured herself some water. "Don't worry too much about me, though. Can't change the past. I'm touched, though, that you remembered her and came."

"Yeah." Serena nodded like a bobble head. "It feels so close, yet so far away how we used to be."

Johanna set her cup down and sighed. "Again, I appreciate who you are, but let's not talk about this any further." The young adults looked at her in confusion. "Time does heal all wounds, yes? So, let's just leave it there as a distant memory and not burden ourselves with anything."

"Come again?" Out of the corner of his eye, Riley saw Dawn clawing at the door like a desperate cat.

"Let's not relive memories we would rather forget, and pretend it never happened. We all have to push forward in our lives. So, let's stop talking about her now. Feel free to leave." Riley just noticed that Johanna had never once said her daughter's name.

"Then why keep her room the same?" Ash cracked his knuckles in his pockets.

"I'm sorry, but I need to prepare dinner now. Goodbye." With that, Johanna stood up and disappeared into the kitchen again.

They looked at each other with severe worry, guilt, and regret written on their faces. "We fucked up," Moon whispered harshly.

'That was kinda cold of her, though." Serena pulled her hair.

"How could she talk like that about her own daughter?" Ash couldn't imagine why.

"You shouldn't have pressed her like that. Blocking out memories is a coping mechanism, you know. She might experience emotional distress because we brought up something she has been ignoring for so long. And, we don't know her side of the story, so we can't exactly judge now can we?" Calem crossed his arms. "With that, let's leave before we make things worse."

No one could argue with that. Dawn certainly had no want to hear it. They prepared to leave, but before anyone could touch the door, the sound of clicking locks startled them. They backed away from the door and prepared themselves for the entrance of another person.

In stepped Dawn's brother, who had a blank face. At the sight of five strangers, he paused before nodding at them and pushing past them. Without a word, he disappeared into a room, leaving the group feeling uneasy at the odd encounter.

Dawn pursed her lips and said, "Guess he actually went to school. Did he get better?" Riley had no way of responding to that. "How well have things gotten without me?"

 **~X~**

Everyone sat themselves down in a chair around the table in Calem's treehouse. After taking a breather and convincing themselves that what had transpired was normal (or at least not weird), Riley stood up with their prize in hand.

"So I guess just read from it?" Ash offered.

"He's probably the only one who will have both the ability and patience to read through that chicken scratch." Calem picked at his nails.

"Sure." Riley prepared to crack the book open.

"Don't expect much out if it." When everyone stared at Calem, he explained himself. "It is from the mind of a twelve year old. Not like anything controversial will be in there."

Riley ignored it and opened the cover facing him. When he did, he sputtered and almost dropped the notebook. Placing a hand over his mouth to hide a laugh, he cleared his throat and shut the book. "Well then."

"What was in it?" Serena sauntered over and snatched the book to see for herself. I'm it she found a doodle that put her at a lost. "Moon, any idea?"

Moon's reaction was the exact same as Riley's. She stared deeply at the crudely drawn Dickbutt that couldn't look more juvinual and garish. "Wow, is that bad. Even I can do better."

Riley cleared his throat and took the book back, flipping it over and lifting the other cover. Met with a wall of messily written text, he cleared his throat and breathed in and out multiple times. "Okay, here's to trying." His eyes squinted and he brought the page closer to his face, trying to decipher the scrawls. " _September 7. Today when I went out to buy school supplies, I axi_ -"

His face contorted as he tried reading out the word. The shaky letters didn't help. "Axi, axa… Oh." Riley realized what was intended to be written. "Accidentally."

"Told you," Calem said smugly. "How did she even misspell it?"

" _-axidently put this notebook in the basket. Mom put it on the counter it and I was too embarrassed_ \- Huh, she spelled that right…" Riley lifted a brow at that. "- _to tell her that I didn't need it. So I guess I'll use it as a diary thing. I probably won't use this though._ Could have bothered with punctuation, but-"

"I don't know!" Dawn blushed and hid herself behind him.

"And?" Moon looked hyper-focused.

" _September 8. Today was the first day of middle school. It started out really bad."_ Riley slowed down after reading it. He couldn't recall too much of his sixth grade, but the first day didn't stand out for him.

"Oh, I remember," Dawn muttered.

"This is going to take forever. Just skim the pages for the word 'wish'. She was a simple person," Calem said, and then felt like he shouldn't have. Tenses were an iffy thing to use.

"It's dated starting from sixth grade." Riley double checked the top corner of the first page.

"No, don't. Flip through and see how many pages are filled." Ash held out his hand, offering to do it.

Riley took a few seconds to do so and pinched the pages that were marred with ink. It amounted to about thirty pages, ranging from several compact entries squeezed on a sheet to whole pages wasted on one word drawn so large to fill the space.

"Just read all of it. Can't hurt, it's not like we've got better things to do, and if she didn't outright write her wish, we'll pick up on it." Serena stood in front of Calem and only stared at him as she said it.

Continuing, Riley read on, " _Dad drove me to school but I still came late. We had to wait in the gym for our teachers to pick us up. When I got to the gym and stood in my class's area I was all alone._ "

"What?" everyone seemed to wonder in unison. Each thought hard on what happened that day.

" _I saw Serena talking to two other girls and braiding their hair. Ash was with a group of other boys and Calem didn't look like he wanted to talk. Moon talked to one girl and one boy. Every other classmate was grouped together and I didn't belong with anyone. I felt scared to join. I stood around feeling weird for ten minutes._ "

"Now I feel bad for talking so much," Ash said, eliciting no chuckles.

"I guess that did happen." Calem had no trouble imaging that being the case.

Riley finally realized that what he was doing was an invasion of privacy, and wanted out. But, Dawn had yet to stop him, and the diary held potential answers, so he kept on. " _Then, somone_ \- I'm gonna stop groaning at every misspelt word - _taped my sholder. I was so happy then. It was Riley. We didn't really talk, but I felt way better standing next to him._

" _Then for first period the teacher made us all sit far from each other. The same happened for the next classes. No one talked to me, and whenever I tried saying something someone always cut me off. At lunch I sat alone until Riley sat next to me. I still felt lonely. But then, Moon sat across from me. Serena sat next to Moon. Calem sat next to Serena and Ash sat next to me. They said that they liked hanging out with the six of us better than the other classmates. I felt happy the rest of today._ "

"That's innocently adorable," Serena gushed.

"Not to mention nothing of substance, and worded quite clunkily." Calem shot her down.

"Keep going?" Riley wasn't prepared to do so. At everyone else's command, he moved to the next entry. " _October 6_ … That's quite the gap in time."

"I said that I wouldn't use it that much." Dawn bashed her head against Riley's back.

" _Today was Kerry's birthday. I don't like Kerry. She's loud and popular. Teachers and others really like her but I don't get it. She never talks to me and I'm scared to talk to her. She stares at me sometimes like I'm weird._ "

"Kerry was a bitch," Moon said louder than she intended. To justify herself, she added, "Well, you saw what happened when I didn't give her my only lollipop that day."

"Right... _She brought goody bags in and gave one to everyone. She handed everyone else's nicely to them, but she threw ours at us._ Ah, I'm beginning to remember." Riley shook his head at the memory of the bratty girl written in Dawn's diary. " _Everyone got a toy in the bags. Mine had a slider puzel._ I'm assuming that's 'puzzle'?"

"Thought you said you weren't gonna mention spelling errors," Serena said.

" _I tried really hard to do it but couldn't. I got angry and threw it in the garbage. I wish I could have solved it."_

"Bingo!" Ash shot up and snapped his fingers.

"Don't take everything so literally." Calem couldn't believe how Ash obviously wasn't paying attention as close as he could have, as if he were just waiting to hear the word "wish" to contribute something.

"You go ahead and do that, and we'll keep reading," Moon said.

"Her wish is to do a slider puzzle? Really, now?" Calem eyes closed to contain his thoughts.

Ash whipped out his phone, but found it to be out of power. "Uh, my phone's dead. Anyone got something I can use?" No one spoke up.

"Just use Calem's laptop." Serena jutted a thumb at the computer resting on a table a few feet away.

Before Ash could even stand up, Calem took a defensive stance in front of it. "No."

"Come on, this is important." No dice. "Please?"

"Just do it together, then," Moon suggested.

"Two people for one dumb slider puzzle? Seriously?" Calem rested a hand on his laptop. "Just run out and buy a cheap one for a dollar or something."

"That's wasting time. Just do it." Riley had no time for nonsense. But, he wouldn't admit that it was amusing to see Calem getting flustered over a slider puzzle.

Calem clammed up and clenched a fist with one hand. With the other, he grabbed his laptop and sat down next to Ash. He booted the thing up and waited, clearly ticked off.

"Ahem." Riley pretended to clear his throat. " _October 10. I'm not doing good in math._ End entry."

"Oi vey," Calem said loudly. He slapped Ash's hand away once he saw it in his peripherals. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Searching for a slider puzzle?" Ash wiggled his hand and nodded at the laptop.

"Christ, what has this world gone to?" Calem reluctantly opened an Internet browser and searched for a slider puzzle.

"Ooh, that one." Ash pointed giddily at one of a fruity-looking bird.

"Good luck," Serena sang at the both of them.

" _October 13. It's too hot. I wish winter would come sooner. I wish it would snow like last year, like four feet!_ "

"Out of the question," Calem said quickly over the sound of scraping wood coming from his laptop. He was using so much of his brain power to solve the puzzle that it pacified him as such. "Next."

"Give it a chance." Serena had no other reason for defending it.

"Yeah, sure, let's just wait for December at the earliest and pray that a mountain of snowfall comes to Chanswell, which is unlikely at all. Factor in global warming, Chanswell's typical precipitation patterns, and the wide unpredictability of the weather-"

"We get it. Put it on the backburner." Serena whispered the last part.

After reading aloud several more entries similar to the last one, Riley paused once he heard Calem go, "Goddamnit."

"No, the other one." Ash pressed a finger against the screen.

"One, don't touch my things. Two, I know what I'm doing."

"You've moved the same two pieces back and forth the past fifty moves."

"I'm thinking."

"Just move that piece. I'm pretty sure it's better than what you're doing!"

"Who asked you?"

"Just move the dumb piece."

"How would you know?"

"Just move that damn piece instead!"

The bystanders of the major blunder couldn't help but laugh at Calem's inability to admit defeat and Ash's freak-out over it. "Having trouble?" Riley said through a small chuckle.

"No," both said and stared intensely at the screen.

"Moving on. _October…_ "

A time later, after reading a long-winded rant about how much Dawn didn't like her teachers, Riley found another entry of interest. " _December 3. Ms. Williams announced that Kerry got the highest score on the last test in science. The same thing happened last week in math and social studies. Kerry wasn't even modest._

" _She walked around the room and looked at everyone's grades. I got a 83 and was proud of it. I heard her laugh when she walked behind me. She looked back and me and shook her test at me. I wish something bad would happen to her._ "

"We're not becoming hitmen now, are we?" Moon joked.

"Already happened." Calem didn't look up from his screen to say it.

"Dude, you hit two-thousand moves! How?" Ash was more invested in the puzzle, especially because Calem refused to listen to his input.

"What do you mean?" Dawn tugged on Riley's jacket.

"How so? I wouldn't mind knowing her fall from grace." Moon rubbed her hands together.

The clicking of his mouse didn't rival Calem voice as it bounced back and forth from relaxed to strained over what was happening on his laptop. "If you can recall, in eighth grade, she was so cocky, so confident that she would get into High Horizon, despite the fact that her grades and behavior took a steep nosedive halfway through sixth grade."

"I think I remember the rest of the story." Ash scratched his cheek.

"So, she waited last minute to turn in her high school application, only listed High Horizon Academy as her desired school, and was rejected. This led to a major tantrum during last period one day where she ended up hitting several teachers trying to restrain her. She almost got suspended, but her parents must have done something to sweep it under the rug."

Dawn didn't try stifling her laughter. "Oh, that's amazing. She had it coming, didn't she?"

"She ended up being zoned to Chanswell High, which has a mediocre record at best. And, she didn't even become the valedictorian or salutatorian of the year. Who knows what she's up to now. Serves her right. Come on, this one piece!"

"And everyone lived happily ever after!" Dawn howled.

"Wish granted?" Moon meekly asked.

Riley didn't have to look back to know it was wrong. "Yes, but no. _December…_ "

Four more short entries and roundtable discussions later, Riley was interrupted by Calem. "Yes! I did it. I solved this on my own."

"Yeah, after—" Serena checked her phone "—an hour. Feeling proud?"

Calem slammed his laptop shut and cleared his throat. "Well, then, I'm assuming this wasn't it?" Riley shook his head. "As I said, this wasn't going to work."

"Maybe it's because you took so long," Serena said.

"Next entry?" Calem glazed over her comment.

"Hoo, boy." Riley knew he was in for a long while sifting through Dawn's diary. At least a promise land of bliss awaited her once they found the right answer. For her and her alone.

* * *

For the reviews:

Mythgirl: Yup, yup, things are coming together. And Serena is safe! Thanks for reading and reviewing.

And to everyone, thanks for reading, and until next time. Hopefully it won't be as late as this one.


	13. Good Times

Author's note: Yes, we are alive. However, I'm sorry to say that this fic will be discontinued. It's been a year and things happened, and I just don't have the motivation or capability to keep going with this story.

I skimmed through the other chapters to get a feel for this again, and I must admit, it is pretty edgy and cringey, to me at least. I certainly didn't approach this with as much restraint as I could have. I also would have loved to edit some small stuff in previous chapters and put a note in the first one, but my final versions of them expired in the chapter editor, which is another reason why I'm jumping ship with this fic instead of rewriting it or something.

Anyway, that's all I have to say. This chapter has been sitting in my Google Docs for a year, so I just did a grammar check and now present you with the last chapter of The Happiness We Felt That Day.

* * *

Riley dragged his feet the whole trek to Calem's place. After meeting up for no longer than five minutes before everyone realized they had obligations to fulfill the previous Saturday, Ash proposed they meet again the next week. Serena and Moon crossed their names off the list immediately, the former having to go somewhere with her mother and the latter for private tutoring with Lillie.

In other words, they were all busy and couldn't manage a proper schedule to meet and read more of Dawn's diary.

The last Saturday, Ash clung to Riley's arm and practically begged him to "hang out" the next week. After remaining unmoving and unamused, it came to light that what Ash actually wanted was for Riley to help him cram for a test. Calem happened to overhear the conversation and suggested the three of them meet at his place for a study session. Ash agreed and Riley had nothing to lose.

The whole walk was quiet. He left Dawn at home with a new game after realizing that they didn't have to persuade anyone to help them anymore. Not a person in sight, Riley was relieved.

Approaching the door, Riley took a deep breath before extending his arm to ring the bell. He recalled Calem saying to not use the treehouse for apparently obvious reasons that only he could tell.

Shortly after, Calem answered the door and let Riley in. They made their way to Calem's room, where he found Ash sitting on the floor at a short table with crumpled papers strewn about. Before Riley could sit down, Ash grabbed his head and scribbled out what he wrote so hard, the table shook with equivalent vigor.

"Hey," Riley lamely greeted, taking one of two empty spots. The floor wasn't the only littered surface; papers spread out over Calem's half of the table. "What happened here?"

"Riley, thank goodness you're here. A little help?" Ash slid a piece of paper fifty percent covered in black ink over to him.

After reading the messy handwritten problem, Riley gave a dry chuckle and said, "Yeah, I have no idea what this means."

Gawking at the supposedly smarter guy, Ash had a eureka moment upon realizing Riley hadn't been going to school. He pulled out a binder from the bag on his lap and flipped through the pages. Landing on one, Ash poked at it. "Right here. I copied the notes, but didn't know what it really meant."

"The flaws of the educational system," Calem mumbled to himself.

"Series and parallel circuits," Riley read atop the page. "Shouldn't you know this stuff better, Calem? You're in the engineering program at your school, aren't you?"

"Physics was a breeze," Calem said. Riley could have sworn Calem whispered something of disdain pertaining to math, but ignored it. "You can do that. I have something more important to do."

And so it went on as such. Riley and Ash bumbled their way together through the physics reference table while Calem silently stared at a piece of paper. Before they knew it, a couple hours elapsed with little progress on both ends.

"I don't get it." Ash dropped his pen after crossing out a line's worth of characters on his paper.

"How? You just did a problem exactly like this one. All you have to do is use the formula that's given to you. You don't even have to use your head that much. Just put it in your calculator." Riley had no idea how Ash could be so tripped up by something so simple.

"I mean, yeah, but, that doesn't change the fact that I just don't get it. Like, how does it work? Why does it work?" Ash started writing again.

"That's not the point. Just do it and don't care about anything else. They give you numbers, you find the right equation, then feed your calculator. So what if you don't know the physics behind this? Doesn't look like you'll actually be asked that, at least about this topic." Riley took a breath after rattling off for so long. "Not like you're aiming to enter the physics field when you graduate, right?"

"Sure. I just always get hitched up on that. It doesn't look right, but it is? Makes no sense sometimes."

"Well, I don't have an answer for that." Riley glanced over at Calem, knowing that it would take a while of writing, thinking, and second guessing for Ash to finish the problem.

He found Calem in a position possibly worse than Ash. Calem hunched over the table, pulling at a clump of hair while sweating. The room wasn't even warm.

Riley leaned over to see what all the fuss was about. He didn't catch many words before Calem slammed the laptop shut out of frustration, but he knew that it was a college application. College application? Why? Oh, wait, it's Calem. But still, is it that stressful?

"What?" Calem ended it with a hard t. His eyes narrowed as he took his glasses off to wipe.

"Couldn't help myself. Which college was that for?" Riley looked around at all the papers near Calem and found most, if not all of them for esteemed colleges.

Ash stopped scribbling to listen in on them. After sliding his glasses back on, Calem sighed and reopened his laptop. "Just one near here with no big claim to fame. For a backup, of course. Not that it's necessary."

"Oh, is it Aball College? I'm planning on going there." Ash finally had something to contribute in a conversation with Calem.

"Perhaps. It's not like it matters too much, though." Opening another tab, Calem skimmed the page of another college.

"Aiming for Harvard or something?" Ash joked. The look Calem gave him made him wish he said it without a chuckle.

Riley waited for Calem to be done typing a string of words to speak up. "Hey, I don't really know much about this, but isn't it too early to be applying for college?"

Calem shut his laptop again and slowly looked up at Riley. "Repeat that?"

"It's just, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Does it really matter where you go? Isn't every place pretty much the same? Why waste your time?"

Even Ash stared at him quizzically. "Dude, we're seniors. Gonna graduate in a few months."

"Correct. What have you done in preparation for that?" Calem closed his laptop again.

Riley slouched over and stared intently at the table. "Uh, nothing." It was just above a whisper. "Didn't think too much of it."

"Are you even going to graduate in June?"

"No." Riley sat back up and cracked his knuckles as a distraction. Both guys in front of him stared. "In January."

Calem, who had picked up a stray pencil and started tapping it on the table, tapped the tip so hard the graphite broke. "Excuse you? You're graduating early? You?"

Like a child who got caught in a lie, Riley twiddled his thumbs and kept his voice low. "Didn't wanna stay any longer than I had to. I would've graduated last year, but my guidance counselor didn't like me."

"Then how could you be saying this? Have you even been accepted anywhere?" Calem continued to gawk.

"No." Scanning over Ash's ink-coated paper brought little to no relief to Riley. "I didn't realize that it was already time. Kinda thought it would sort itself on its own eventually."

"Better get started. Why don't we all look at stuff together now? I'm already tired of science." Ash balled his sheet of paper up and tossed it towards a trash can without even looking, then scooted next to Calem.

"No." Calem shut his laptop one last time and slouched over the table.

Meanwhile, Riley felt his head going numb. There was no pain, nor any dizziness, but a dull fuzziness spreading, starting from the top of his head. He could not completely grasp what came crashing down on him. How had time been passing by so quickly? He was already expected to go to college? Somehow he was expected to keep going on?

Heart sinking and face draining, Riley said under his breath," I don't want to go to college. This is all happening way too fast."

"We only just mentioned it. Take what you will of it," Calem said.

"But I'm not ready."

"Then be left behind again. Earth won't stop revolving around the sun just because you don't want it to."

"How can you say that so easily?"

"Riley, you are the oldest one here by a mile. Either act that way or keep quiet. We're not here playing armchair psychologist."

"But I just don't want to…" Words were lost on Riley. He knew he shouldn't be pouring his heart out to Calem and Ash, but he had no answers himself. "I don't want to do anything. I'm... not happy." He finally said it.

For the first time, Riley made a cry for help. It was a tad disguised as a pathetic response, but he asked, like he always wanted to. He wanted to ask someone for help. But, how could he ask when no one had answers? How could he ask when when he did, society would tell him to just "be happy"? How could he ask when he didn't even know what he really felt?

All Riley knew was that he didn't feel like he was a part of anything; all he was doing was existing.

"No one said I was, either," Calem whispered.

"Happiness doesn't last forever," Ash said.

Together they sat in uncomfortable silence. It stayed that way until Riley, trying to shift the mood, said, "Yeah, I'm not stable." He regretted bringing the air down so. To see even Ash in such a state was too much. And to have Calem admit one of his flaws?

Riley never felt so out of touch. He wasn't the only one so out of it. Guess everyone else just hides it better. They all seem to have their own things weighing them down now. And I've just been assuming I was the only one acting normal regarding Dawn. Then, how devastated was everyone after Dawn, if I did what I did?

"Well, let's apply you to Aball College right now. It was pretty easy. Didn't take me too long. Plus, hey, we can go there together." Ash offered a dazzling smile, as if the room wasn't doom and gloom. "It's not prestigious or anything, but it's better than nothing?"

Ash held out a hand. After staring at it deep in thought about how much he didn't know, Riley slowly met it with his own and completed the handshake. "Doesn't mean I want to."

"One step at a time, man. Not the best, but let's try to make it out all right together. Kinda missed how, y'know…" Ash glanced at both guys and let his stomach flop as he allowed himself to acknowledge how empty his present social life actually was. "I missed how we used to have each others' backs. I can't ever say anything depressing or serious without one of my other friends joking that I should just die or something. This just feels real."

Staring longingly at the space between Ash and Riley, Calem thought, Why does it feel like I enjoy social interaction right now? I've only ever hung out with these two and Serena and Moon. Why does it feel right? Why don't I want to walk away?

Riley felt his throat going dry and a swelling in his chest. "Better than nothing. Let's register for college, shall we?"

"You mean you," Calem corrected him.

"That's the spirit, man. I'm pretty sure I heard Moon say she was planning on Aball, too." Ash scratched his cheek and winced slightly. "But, it was kinda over a phone call with her mom screeching about going somewhere better in the background, so…"

"What about Serena?" Riley couldn't stop the question from slipping out.

"Dunno. Never came up in conversation with her."

"Rolance," Calem mumbled.

"What?" both asked.

A sigh and an arm cross later, Calem reiterated, "She plans on going to Rolance University. Something about the art program." On the large table in the corner of the room, a picture frame turned face-down lay. Calem stood up and didn't realize what he was doing until he had already done it: he flipped the frame over, revealing a dreary painting of a shadow figure standing in the rain that Serena made for him as a lazy, belated birthday gift years ago. "Didn't realize she kept up the hobby."

"She takes pictures," Ash offered. "Last week, at my football game, she took a bunch of pictures. She had a really good one of the sky."

"The sky?" Calem repeated.

"Yup. But, I think I kinda photobombed it." Several of her pictures had him in the shot, slightly blurry.

"I'm talking about art-art, not photography." Brushing off odd answers was natural for Calem regarding Ash.

"Anyway, guess it'll still be you and Serena so far away next year, huh?"

Riley had "borrowed" Calem's laptop and was going through an application for Aball College. "I kinda hoped otherwise," he said under his breath.

Sitting back down after setting the painting upright on his bedside table, Calem looked at the two guys with slight glints in their eyes about school. "Me too, Riley," he said even lower. "I don't want to go to school either. The pressure has nearly broken me."

"What?" Ash stared at Calem. "You?"

Not realizing that he was divulging his secret feelings, Calem continued, "I don't want to be a doctor. Or a lawyer. Or anything. Like you, Riley. Except, I don't even have a talent to fall back on like you. Math, pah." He moved to lie on his bed and cover his eyes with an arm. The fuzzy feeling he was getting from talking with Riley and Ash made it hard for him to stop talking. Now it was Calem's turn for catharsis.

"What? But you talk so big about that." Riley stopped mid-key press to listen to Calem's response.

"Yeah, I kept telling myself that too." He sighed and rolled over to face the wall. "I only said that to please my parents' friends."

"What?"

"Everyone expects me to be something I don't want to be. My parents are respected, so the easiest answer back then was 'I want to be like my parents.' Now, it's too late to take it back." Images of his father hunched over late at night over stacks of paper and his mother not coming home until the middle of the next day from working late, late nights flashed before his eyes. "I don't want to be something I know I can't be. My parents even checked hundreds of times to make sure this is the path I wanted to walk. How can I possibly turn back? And, I just realized what I've been saying." He sat up.

"Yeah?" Ash goaded.

"Forget it."

"Nah, man, come on. No one's judging or anything."

Clacking keys resumed as Riley tried to drop the subject as Calem wanted it. Did he finally crack from the pressure? Or, maybe he always felt this way.

With one last sigh, Calem only took his seat back at the table and said, "Maybe I want to turn back time. Maybe. And perhaps I regret never experiencing a true childhood and yearn for a second chance."

As one for poetic last words, Riley said, "If I could change anything about the past, I probably would have never left my house at all from the beginning. Then, maybe the present wouldn't be so painful. I think I would rather ignorant bliss and loneliness than to have loved and lost."

"I wouldn't," Ash whispered. And that was then end of that conversation.

What followed after Riley deferred his college application due to not having enough info on the top of his head was laughter and joy at Ash's expense as they resumed tutoring to his dismay. None of them would have denied enjoying the experience.

~X~

On the flip side, Moon and Serena rode in Serena's mom's car on the way to a nearby high school to take their SAT. Serena was at the wheel, while Moon sat in the seat directly behind her for no real reason. Serena never brought attention to it, though.

Serena looked in the mirror to catch wind of Moon fumbling with her graphing calculator. Slowing the car at a yellow light, she said, "You good?"

"No, I think my calculator just crapped itself." Giving up, Moon tossed her tool onto the other seat and leaned back to sigh. "I'm an even bigger mess than I thought right now."

"I've got spare batteries somewhere in there." Serena tossed her purse at the unexpecting Moon, who managed to catch it while somehow choking herself on her seatbelt.

Rifling through the numerous pockets to retrieve a plastic baggie full of eight appropriate batteries, Moon sighed in relief and felt her heart slow down. "Thank you."

"Just relax. It's not that big a deal." Cranking up the radio on some rock station, Serena stepped on the gas pedal. "Just a dumb test."

"To you. I need this, for my mom's sake, therefore mine. If I manage to do better than Luna did last year, Mom promised she would leave me alone." With all her nerves jumbling up, Moon couldn't even focus enough to recall what score she had to beat.

"I take back what I said."

"Yes you do."

Noting the time, Serena slowed down the car to try to initiate a proper conversation. They were well over an hour early, and the testing center was only about ten minutes away. It's been so long since we actually talked about ourselves instead of just what's happening presently. I know Moon's personality, but I don't think I know her right now anymore. She said, "So… Anything interesting happen lately? Besides the renewed dance class?" She twitched her chin at the pair of dance shoes on the floor at Moon's feet. "But you seriously had to spring for the same teacher?"

"Nothing new. And, I mean, Mrs. Smith kinda left me alone. There's an assistant teacher now, too, and she said that I'm really talented."

"You are." Questions seemed hard to form. Serena asked, "Then, any drama?"

"No," Moon simply answered. That answer disregarded what was happening in their little circle of iffy friends.

"Nice…"

"Sorry. I'm kinda boring."

"I could say the same. The most interesting thing to happen to me lately was meeting up with Calem and not arguing with him." To this, Moon laughed while Serena reveled in the memory of Calem listening to her ideas for a class project and not waving off anything she said.

"Well, I've actually been hanging out with Lillie a lot more than I used to. Even outside of work. I've even been more open around her. And, and…" Had Moon been standing, she would have started hopping. Giddiness rose from the pleasant experiences she had around Lillie. "When I make weird jokes and references that probably only I can understand, she laughs with me and doesn't even look at me funny. She used to hesitate on reacting to me, but now she seems to like my awkwardness."

"Making milestones with other friends?" Serena couldn't tell if she was being jocular or jealous with that question. The thought of Moon having a close, female friend that wasn't her was tough to accept.

"Yeah, actually. I kinda wish Gladion would see me like that, too, but I'll take just Lillie any day." Moon still couldn't shake off her unintentional habit of embarrassing herself and others at the worst times. "We're even gonna catch a movie coming out in a few weeks about a game I really like. She's probably gonna be confused and uncomfortable as all hell, but I can't wait for that Saturday. Never had I felt like my own person before. I just hope that this isn't happening only because Luna suggested it to her..."

Serena flipped her hair over her shoulder and allowed a smile to spread. I caught that Moon. Time to play cupid? "Really?"

"Yup. Uh, hey, haven't you driven by that store a few times already?" She pointed out the window and felt her stomach sink at the prospect of being lost.

"Yeah, just looking for a good spot. Anyway…" A car cut Serena off in squeezing into a freshly open stretch of street to park. A small growl came from her. "How about a crush? Anyone?" Her eyebrows wiggled and she couldn't stop her laugh.

"What? No, I, uh, no." Moon kept her eyes locked on whatever scenery passed her by as the car sped on. Her flushed cheeks and wavering voice were not as easily disguised as her darting eyes. "I mean, pfft."

Vagueness and not incorrect statements would be the best way to reach the heart of the subject. So, Serena said, "Really? So, do they have a… an 'i' in their name?"

"Y-yeah." That was easier than either of them expected it to be. Moon's eyes widened and she puffed out her cheeks. "Well, a lot of people have 'i's in their name." She dug herself deeper.

"Oh? Then, are they blond?" Serena was reaching. She did not know much about Gladion to fluster Moon as much as she wanted to. "Do they go to the same school as you? Do you act extra awkward around them?"

"Yes," Moon reluctantly said. Her head twitched up quickly to add, "It's not Gladion." She knew how Serena's head worked. Her face finally cooled down.

That fast last statement only solidified Serena's imagined reality. She sang, "Denial." Then, the subject was dropped. Serena wasn't a sadist.

"Well, what about you?" Moon wanted to make things even.

"Oh, I've got a crush. I won't lie or deny," Serena said with a smug smile.

"Aw." It sounded like a whimper. After getting over realizing she couldn't drag Serena down, Moon asked out of bored curiosity, "Did I miss anything at Ash's football game? He seemed really disappointed that you were the only one willing to go."

"Eh, it was football. I had no idea what was happening, but apparently Journey won. I think Ash was the MVP or whatever." She couldn't recall anything that happened other than Ash running back and forth due to not caring enough about the sport. "He was good."

"How do you know?"

"Not too sure. But, to me, he looked amazing on that field. Like a hero. Ran like Father Time would never catch up to him." Serena remembered the brilliant smile Ash had on after the game was over. It reminded her of the face her mother made whenever she finished a marathon. "He even walked me home. It wasn't that big a deal, but I just felt really good knowing he was just a hop away."

"Riiight." Moon had no other response to it. At least she had a fun time. Better than what she told me happened a few weeks ago with Calem helping her. She offered a smile and realized that the car went silent.

With the car parked in a cozy spot, Serena released her seatbelt and unlocked the doors. She stepped out and waited for Moon to follow. Together, they crossed the street to their testing center. As they got closer, Serena noticed Moon shaking and dragging her feet. Slinging an arm around her friend's shoulder, Serena sighed and said, "Just a few more hours. Then we can goof off."

Moon's heart calmed down and her mind cleared. Yeah, she's right. I'm glad this is the way things are right now. Maybe I'll get some happy ending soon.

~X~

Ash and Riley walked side-by-side after having been kicked out of Calem's house. According to Calem, they were distracting. Both left without any protests.

"Wanna get something to eat?" Ash chimed after several minutes of silence.

"I'm good." What Riley didn't realize was that it wasn't a matter of hunger, but of continuing to hang out. Ash's true intent didn't even cross Riley's mind.

"Movie? Game? Anything?" Ash wouldn't go down without trying.

"I've had my fill of social interaction today." It wasn't a lie, and boy was Riley tired. Only then did he catch on to Ash's subtext and feel embarrassment wash over him.

Before he could rectify himself, the pair rounded a corner and came to a halt at another couple doing the same thing. Riley mumbled an empty apology, bowed his head, then walked around the two. Ash, on the other hand, switched gears completely. "Yo, what's happening?"

At this, Riley stopped walking to watch the interaction from afar. Just as the three started gabbing on, he recognized the two they bumped into to be Gary and Misty. With their last interaction being garbage, Riley never wanted to run away so badly.

His attempt to subtly scuttle off failed once Gary noticed him in the background. Loud enough for Riley to hear (on purpose or not, he hadn't a clue), Gary said, "Don't look now, but that weird guy from school is right there."

Misty looked back and crossed her arms. "I really don't understand. How can someone even get held back for so long?" Genuine curiosity was laced in her question, but it didn't soften the blow for Riley any less. "I mean, he looks, what, like 30?"

As gross an overestimate as it seemed, Riley deflated upon realizing how not impossibly far-off she was. At 21, Riley currently stood around in shame like he was ten.

Gary snickered at Misty's guess and reveled in the joy at the expense of others. "Yeah, plus he seems pretty shady. I mean, look at him." He nodded at the frozen man just five yards away, back turned towards them. "He's just standing there, listening to us. Who knows what he could do right now."

"I had a math class with him last year. He showed up like four times, and somehow passed, so he's gotta be pretty smart. So how the hell was he held back?" Misty fixated on that one aspect of Riley's life. "Was he that lazy? Or did he get suspended?"

"Hey, Misty, y'know last week how-" Ash tried to change the subject, but was quickly cut off.

"And, I mean, really, did someone die or something? Why's he so depressing on top of being an old guy surrounded by kids all day when he goes to school?" Misty finished. The joke started getting old.

Ash couldn't fathom how either of his friends saw Riley as old as they thought he was. More importantly, he winced at how Misty hit the nail on the head as to why Riley was so unenthused and unmotivated, then dismissed it in favor of assuming the worst.

"He's still standing there. He might as well just be some hermit living in a cave, all alone in the dark if he doesn't fit into society." Gary perfectly summarized Riley's previous lifestyle choice in one sentence. "Like some deadbeat loser that's gonna die soon." Now, did Gary have some baggage.

"Dude, you don't have to say that!" Ash stepped closer until his and Gary's noses were almost touching. "Why don't you drive around in your car with your little cheer squad like some overcompensating, rude jerk that's not going to make it far in life?"

Absolutely speechless, Gary and Misty dropped their jaws at Ash's sudden snappy, somewhat eloquent outburst. Even Riley fully turned around to see what would go down. "Dude, what the hell? Gary pushed Ash back at the chest.

"He's right there. You don't have to gossip about him out loud, or at all. Especially since you don't know him!"

"And you do?" Misty put her hands on her hips. "This weirdo?"

"He's not a weirdo. He's my friend." As he said it, Ash walked past the two and stood next to Riley.

"Is this really how you wanna go down, Ashy-boy?" Gary pulled his phone out.

"I don't see what's so bad about hanging out with my good friend, who also happens to be a good person." He turned around and slung one arm around his shoulders. Ash dejectedly looked at the ground. "Unlike some people."

They rounded the corner, leaving Misty and Gary frozen and indignant. When he was finally fully cognizant, Riley gawked at Ash. "What did you just do?"

"Eh, I don't really regret it. They needed to realize that they weren't the only important ones in the world, anyway." Ash shrugged and crossed his arms behind his head. With a sigh, he added, "But, I'm kinda afraid of going to school Monday. Who knows what hell they'll give me for blowing them off like that."

"You didn't have to do that. You could have just pretended that I didn't exist."

"But you are my friend, Riley. Why would I ditch you like that?" Somewhere in the world, Serena sneezed and felt her heart sink.

"They seemed kinda important to you, too."

"It doesn't matter. I'll stand by you, man. They were probably just having a bad day, too, I'm sure. I'll say sorry on their behalf." He checked his phone for the time. "Anyway, I was planning on going to the gym. Mind spotting me?"

Ash gave a contagious smile. Riley had never stepped foot into a gym not part of school, nor had he any idea what "spotting" was, but with the best smile he could manage, he nodded his head vigorously. "Why the hell not?"

~X~

Serena's house had never had so many cooks in the kitchen in the past five years than it had presently. The five plus Dawn crowded around the island, which was littered with baking materials. Serena, with a frilly apron on, tied her hair up with eyes on a sheet of paper, not even noticing that she was whipping her hair in Calem's face. He had yet to make a remark.

Serena's paper was full of scribbles in her round handwriting, paragraphs clearly numbered starting from one. She took a deep breath, and with a voice of authority said, "Okay, let's begin."

"Er, why are we doing this?" Riley said. When he got a text from Serena telling them to meet up when they were all free, the situation they were in was the last thing he expected.

"I second that." Calem closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No, wait, what are we doing?" Ash asked. Moon nodded her head.

"Oh, right, I never actually said what we're here for." Serena stared intently on the clock on the wall. "We're here to bake."

"I can see that. Question is why." Calem turned around and took one step away.

"Something happen?" Moon instinctively asked.

While sliding the ingredients around until they were in satisfactory positions, Serena said, "My dad's coming home tomorrow, and I wanted to make some stuff."

Calem sighed and walked back to the group. How long was his business trip this time? "Why did you need us?"

"Because I haven't baked junk in a long while and I need guinea pigs," Serena said with a dazzling smile. "Plus, wasn't one of the requests in Dawn's diary to eat sweets together or something?"

"No problem." It was difficult to tell whether Moon was serious or sarcastic with that.

"Aw, sweet. I'm definitely sticking around," Ash said.

"You're something else." Calem didn't bother furthering the conversation.

"Step one?" Riley peered over to read the recipe sheet. Dawn sauntered over and stood right next to Serena to read it.

"Measurements. You guys can do dry ingredients, Moon and I'll do wet."

"What's the difference?" Moon said while tapping the milk jug in front of her.

"It's easier and cleaner." Serena snorted and looked to see the reluctant faces of the three guys crowded around a bag of flour.

"Just read the instructions, the labels, and then use the measuring stuff and do it right." Her last three words were given with extra emphasis. As each word dropped out of her mouth, she pointed at one of the three.

The first to make a move was Riley, who cracked the flour bag open. Calem slid a measuring spoon in front of Ash, who shoved the utensil into the sack, then dumped the powder into a provided bowl.

Immediately upon completion, Serena traded the two parties' bowls. "Couldn't trust you guys."

"Whatever do you mean." Calem didn't bother faking concern.

"Ash, you put way more than one cup into this bowl. You're supposed to scrape the extra top off with something flat."

"Why not just revoke his privileges only?" Riley asked.

"Because you two let him do that." No argument could be mustered. So, they switched. Moon received the flour and meticulously did her job. Meanwhile, the three others begrudgingly did theirs.

When everything was in place, ready to be mixed, Serena began beating the eggs for the cake. The four others stood behind her and peered over her shoulder. Before she even got into the groove of whisking, Serena jutted her thumb behind her, pointing at a cabinet while almost gouging Calem's eye out. "Get a pot and fill it with water. Then boil it."

"You got it." Ash complied and opened a door to reach. A few grunts of effort and Calem sighing went in and out of their ears. A full minute passed before the three turned around to see Ash and Calem each holding up a side of an oversized pot filled with water above the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Serena moved from her completed cake batter to forming cookies out of dough she made the night prior without skipping a beat.

"As you said," Calem deadpanned.

"Why would you carry it instead of sliding it across the counter? No, why choose the absolute biggest pot I have?"

Calem and Ash looked at each other and shrugged, a small amount of water sloshing out of the pot. With a squeal, Serena waved her hands frantically and said, "No, no, just don't make a mess." At a turtle's pace, the two inched closer to the stove.

Shortly afterwards, a banging at the door caused everyone to jolt and almost drop what they were holding, including Ash, Calem, and their pot. Serena's mother quickly walked past the kitchen to answer it. Over her shoulder, she said, "Feed Fletchling, Serena."

All eyes landed on Serena as she pressed her index fingers together and looked down. Immediately, she snapped her head up and shouted, "Fletcher! She said, 'Fletcher.'"

As if on cue, a bright chirping filled the air and attention was drawn to an orange bird in a cage hanging in the living room just in view of the kitchen. Serena stammered and let out one minute's worth of nonsense as she tried to find anything to justify her pet bird's name. Yet, to her surprise, no one pried, or even raised an eyebrow. "Okay, he's Fletchling."

Around them, she didn't have to justify her apparently less-than-desirable traits.

"He has a whole pile of feed. He's always this noisy before he takes a nap."

One heavenly moment of silence fell over them before it was interrupted by the front door slamming and shoes clacking on the tile floor. Suddenly, Serena found herself facing her three schoolmates without any ounce of artificiality to her. She felt naked and vulnerable in that moment, save for the slight protection her unironic kiss-the-cook apron provided.

"Yo, Sissy, this is what you've been doing without us?" Emily waltzed up to a sheet of chocolate bark Serena made the night before and set out for her friends to eat and snapped off a huge piece for herself. The harsh crack of the treat knocked Serena's confidence levels down.

"Yeah, you don't cook for us." Jessica stared Serena down.

"And you're hanging out with losers like these? Ditch them and let's have fun." One of the girls shot each person a nasty look.

Serena's fight-or-flight response kicked in, and she picked the latter in the form of making excuses that created a wall between her and reality. "No, wait, this is for… church."

"You have only gone to church once in your life, when you were thirteen," Calem grumbled as his posture worsened. Ash had stopped traversing the kitchen floor once the three newcomers entered, leaving the two still holding the pot of water.

"So?" Serena hated whenever she got this response to anything from the three, which was often. How was she supposed to answer that?

"Why are you even here?" Serena shot at them coldly. "You haven't talked to me since you let me be creeped on by Edward. When I told you, you said I was just starting drama and to not talk to you until I stopped being annoying."

"So?" Once again, this was the answer Serena got. The three girls just didn't care about anything except what was beneficial to them, and Serena hated that she stood them for so long. "There's a new movie today, and we're broke."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Serena's large supply of patience finally ran out. Rather than giving an answer, she laughed bitterly while moving on to fill cupcake liners with her batter.

"Gross, you actually hang out with Carl?" one of them remarked. This was the cherry on top of the broken camel back.

"I take offense to that," Calem mumbled while rolling his shoulders and hoping that his arms didn't fall off from holding the heavy pot.

"Come on, let's go, Sissy." It was like they were talking to a dog.

"No," Serena softly said.

The three girls turned around with a flip of their hair, then immediately snapped their heads back once her response hit them. All eyes fell on Serena as she stood motionless. On the inside, her stomach was in unrest, and her hands were trembling at the reality of standing up to her fake friends. Never had she spoken out of turn, much less against people who she was scared of. Who knew what nightmare they could have made her life.

"Did you say something?"

Dawn stood on her toes to pet Serena on her head. Moon lifted a hand to grab one of Serena's, but stopped herself in fear of embarrassing not only herself, but Serena. Instead, she held a half-filled cup of flour in her hand, frozen.

One of the girls walked up to Moon and blew hard into the flour, causing a plume of white to cloud around her. Moon coughed and felt her eyes sting while the three girls snickered.

At this, Serena took one of Moon's hands in hers and growled, "I said no. And get out of my house."

"Excuse you?" Emily leered at her.

No more fear. No more hesitation. I won't stand for these jerks any longer. I don't need them as fake friends. Gripping Moon's hand harder, Serena finished her thought. Because I actually have real friends in Calem and the others.

"This is absurd. You clearly heard her, so remove yourselves from the premise." After finally hoisting the pot onto the stove with Ash, Calem decided that the last work he would do was chase off the harpies annoying them.

"Whatever. Sissy?"

Firmly and with meaning, Serena answered, "No."

"What do you mean no?"

Finally looking up and making eye contact, Serena repeated herself, only to be cut off half-way by disgusted groans. When the spotlight fell on her again, Serena gathered her thoughts and severed the cord. "I refuse to hang out with any of you any more. I am not your cash cow, nor am I your scapegoat. I am not someone who you can push around at a whim without consequences. The years that I've known you have been pure hell. The three of you need to shut up and fall back down to Earth, because in a few years, I'm damn sure no one will give a damn about you any more than I do right now. Fuck you. And if you threaten me by calling me a bad friend or a bitch, then look in the mirror and say it. I never want to deal with you again."

"Damn straight," Moon muttered when Serena took a breath.

"Because you aren't my friends. You never have been. And if the five of us in front of you look like some gang of losers to you, then so be it. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm done living a lie, and dealing with you. I can't believe I let myself be your doormat for so long. Just get out of here."

Three disgusted and nasty glares were shot at Serena, who was breathing heavily after shouting her heart out. "Is that how it is?"

"Yeah, it is. Sayonara." Serena opened and clasped her hand as a demeaning wave. With the only genuine smile the three ever saw Serena giving them, she ended by saying, "I won't miss any of you."

The three girls turned around and started walking away while not remotely trying to hide the crude remarks they were making about the people only a few feet away. Upon hearing the front door closing, Serena sighed and almost collapsed to the floor.

Serena's mother glided past the kitchen after locking the door. Over her shoulder, she said, "I wish you did that earlier. Those girls were bad news. Couldn't you have just hung out with Calem for high school?" No one reacted to this.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Riley couldn't make heads or tails of whatever raced through Serena's head.

"Yes I am. And I'll be damned if I say that that didn't feel good." With a confident sweep of her bangs, Serena beamed at them. "Because… I never felt as happy the entire time I've known them than in any one minute with any combination of you guys recently. Thank you for just being here and being yourselves."

"I can guarantee you that Monday won't be a nightmare for you. In fact, it'll be akin to Heaven since those three won't be there to drag you down." Without even realizing it, Calem had dipped a clean finger into the bowl in front of Serena and scraped some batter off the sides.

"For me, yes. For you? I may or may not resort to pestering you for cheap entertain-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Calem had tapped the finger with batter on it on her nose. It had been initiated by him on instinct, as if they were all ten years younger, but goaded on by the phantom force of Dawn when he stopped himself halfway. "This isn't-"

Without wasting any time, Serena's immediate reaction was to take a filled cupcake liner from a short distance away and smash it against Calem's cheek. "What the hell was that about?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Batter dripped down his face and onto the floor, just missing his unnecessarily expensive shoes. His blank face and unmoving body only added to the picture.

"Why did you do that?" Riley, who had witnessed the whole thing, whispered to Dawn.

With an impish smile, Dawn only did to Riley what she helped Calem do to Serena. "Isn't it magical?"

Sighing, Riley felt the slimey substance on his cheek. Swiping it off with his sleeve only made it worse. "What is this, a food fight?"

As if on cue, Dawn placed a spoon dipped in batter in his hand and held onto it in hers. The next thing he knew, the ammunition was flung at Ash, the bill of his hat only just being enough to shield his eyes from blast. In response, Ash chuckled lightheartedly, subtly picking up a raw cookie laid out on aluminum foil from the counter behind him. Moon was the last one to get egg on her face as Ash chucked the dough at her, splatting on her plain shirt.

"Is this war?" Not even waiting for a response to her question, Moon took a spoon of her own and sent batter flying Calem's way. He was in no shape or form to dodge it in any way, so a direct hit spattered on his forehead.

Lips curled, Serena grabbed Moon by the hand and yanked her down to a squat behind their side of the kitchen island. Giggles erupted from both girls as they clinked two spoons together and peeked their heads from the top of their cover.

Meanwhile, Calem stiffened in response to his stains. Ash took a smidgen of frosting out of a bowl set to the side and ate it. "Hey, this is really good."

Immediately in response, Serena stood up and shouted, "Yeah, when it's not on your face. Stop eating that!" She then proceeded to throw a raw cookie at him. Her mise en place resulted in the whole island being covered by goodies to be vaulted to any unsuspecting person.

"Hey, come on!" Ash narrowly dodged it and took his own hiding spot mirroring the two girls. "Calem, get down too."

Still frozen, Calem was the biggest and easiest target he could have been. "You can, uh, dodge or something," Serena suggested while flinging batter at him. The whole front side of his shirt soon became white. "Calem?"

"Yes, dodge…" He allowed himself to be pulled down by Ash. "Yes…"

"I think you broke him," Ash called out while blindly tossing a cookie behind him. It landed on top of the fridge.

"Uh-oh." Moon tightly clutched her spoon to her chest.

"Eh, he'll either get over it or break and cave in." Serena shrugged it off. "Uh, this is kinda pathetic and even more painful to actually think about when it's just one and two halfves of us fully participating in this. I'm gonna have to clean this anyway, so…"

Taking what she just said as the okay, Calem snapped out of his daze and stood back up. He walked over to Serena and towered over her as she fell down with her back against a cabinet. "Serena."

"Yeah?" Not knowing what he was going to do, Serena tried standing up, but realized that she was trapped.

"You made me do this. An eye for an eye." Calem twitched his neck and sighed. "For once, I'll stoop to your level."

He reached behind him and took a disgusting handful of congealing chocolate from the bowl Serena had him place above the double broiler he and Ash made when everyone was paying attention to the three drama queens. She had prepared a surprising amount of the food without anyone realizing it. Sliding down to eye-level with Serena, clean hand placed to the side of her head, he clicked his tongue.

Serena stopped breathing for a minute as their faces were just inches apart, heart pumping at the completely unpredictable move he just made. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Don't you know?" Why am I doing this? How childish and ridiculous. Despite his thoughts, Calem held his full hand above Serena's head and gave her a nice pet.

Serena flinched at the contact, and didn't even realize Calem's intent until chocolate started dripping down her face. "The hell?"

A droplet made its way to her cheek, and Calem had the decency to wipe it off for her. With his chocolate-coated hand. His thumb swiped the dribble away, and when he removed his hand, a large stain of chocolate was left on Serena's face. "How's that for just desserts?"

After whispering that in her ear, Calem turned around and walked back to his and Ash's side of the kitchen. Stopping him mid-stride, Serena sacrificed the one completed dessert she had made just before everyone came, a two-tiered frosted cake nestled in the corner of the counter, and smashed it into Calem's face. Gasping for air after he jerked back, such solace didn't exist for him as Moon shoved his face back into the cake. Moon gave a stifled chuckle, then exploded once Serena did.

Moon got cut off by Ash perfectly lobbing a glob of cookie dough into her open mouth. The two girls looked at each other, nodded, then took whatever remained of the twice-smushed cake and hurled it at Ash.

Suck antics went on for quite some time, definitely more than it should have lasted, which was probably no time at all. In the background, Riley only stood with a hand over his mouth, covering the smile that grew at the absurdity of the situation and preventing an uproarious laughter from booming. "This is some show. Like a bunch of babies playing with their food."

Beside him, Dawn had been yukking it up as every now and then, she secretly tagged into the battle and dirtied either side. But, it wasn't enough. Not just yet. So, she tossed the last raw cupcake at Ash, hitting him at the side of the head. "Your turn," was all she said.

Ash turned on cue to where the hit came from and saw Riley, the only person not covered in raw dessert. The four stopped their little war and all looked at Riley. Moon slowly walked over to him, grabbed his arm, and dragged him back.

"Wait, I'm actually fine right now," he said as a pink stain set in where Moon touched him. Dawn only shoved him forwards and cackled.

"Riley." Calem looked through his wilted mop of hair, laced with frosting and crumbs, to look the young man straight in the eyes. Riley glanced at the table and noticed that there were no more sweets left to use as ammo.

"Uh, looks like I won?" His eyes flitted from the empty yet dirty table and each of the four.

"No you didn't," Serena took from the fridge a carton of a dozen eggs, handing them out so each had three.

"In the cabinet." Calem pointed to a specific door. Moon opened it, staining the handle in the process, revealing a jar of sprinkles. Ash took it down from the highest shelf.

"None of us had the pie yet," Moon said as she retrieved a blueberry pie Serena made for them to eat the night before from the fridge.

"Oh, dear." Riley slouched over and bowed his head, knowing his time had come.

"You'll be fine," Dawn had the gall to say as she stood from a distance and chuckled.

"Ready, Riley?" Serena stepped up first and presented her first egg to him. If went straight against his forehead, a satisfying (for the four) crack resounded as Riley had literal egg on his face.

Moon went next, tossing hers at him. And missing by quite a margin.

"Moon! We have limited supplies!" Serena gripped the shorter girl's shoulder tightly.

"You guys are a bit too into this," Riley shakily said.

Ash responded by throwing all of his eggs straight at Riley's weak points, each hitting the mark perfectly. One at the temple, one on the stomach, and the last where it was best left unspoken.

Calem took his own and cracked them meticulously over Riley's head save one, which he forced Riley to break in his own hand. "Aw, gross."

"That's what you get for being a bystander. Look at me. If this is what happened to me, you should be in a worse position," Calem said. As he dipped his head down, Riley could have sworn he saw a big, yet slightly sadistic grin.

Moon took her two remaining eggs and clapped them over each of Riley's cheeks. Serena finished it off by staining the rest of his clothes. "There."

"So, we're done here, right?"

Not a minute later, Riley stood with a blue- and purple-stained face with rainbow sprinkles sticking all over and wherever egg existed on his person. Under him was a puddle of the jimmies that didn't stay on him. Only then did he even begin to compare in looks to the other four.

All the while, Dawn stood sparkling clean with her cheeks hurting from laughing so much.

They all looked at each other and, without any hesitation or malice, burst out laughing so hard most of the gunk on them fell off.

* * *

Author's note: Thanks for reading. Apologies for ooc in this chapter and the rest. I remember a vague ending I had planned for this story, so if anyone cares, I could tell it.

Moving on from this, I'll admit that I have a new fic that just needs to be proofread before putting out, so there's that. Hopefully I'll pump that out soon. I've vamped my profile with future story ideas if anybody followed my works in particular, yadda yadda.

Once again, thanks for reading.


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